THE  \VRIUHT   IRRIGATION    »C1 


Ray   !.: .    .„.  r.r.py  . 


GIFT   OF 


THE  WRIGHT  IRRIGATION  ACT  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


Ray  fc.  Gidney 


1912. 


L 


o 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS . 

Page. 

I.  Conditions  Leading  to  the  Passage  of_  the  Act  / 

Early  history  of  irrigated  agriculture  1 

Changed  conditions  of  the  'seventies.   .    •*....     1 

Legislation 3 

Act  of  1872.   .   .   .   .  "*?  '*?    .  *  .   .  *  .   .     3 

Act  of  1878 4 

Act  of  1887,  The  V/right  Irrigation  Act,     .  K  4 

II.  Operations  Under  the  Act 8 

General  opinion  regarding  the  act   .......     8 

Formation  of  districts  and  their  activities   .....  11 

III.  Eiscuceion  j>£  the  Causes  o£  Failure  .   .    .....  15 

ilature  of  promotion  ..",,*..          .   •  15 

Purpose  of  promoters  •— .—  ...   -V   ....  16 

Ability  of  promoters 18 

Justification  .   •   . 19 

Agricultural  factors     .   19 

Economic  factors  22 

Financial  ar.d  construction  operations 24 

Plans  to  secure  and  distribute  water  supply  ....  24 

Bond  issues ......  27 

Returns  for  money  expended  . 29 

s  Obstacles  and  hindrances  encountered  29 

Opposition 29 

Litigation 31 

Summary  of  conclusions  as  to  factors  affecting  succeer  of  districts  ^5 
lable  giving  claEeif icaticr,  of  districts  by  causes  oi'  failure  36 


1    :,..;•   I< 


,  il.r'     Q...L. 

. 

»  •  t  •  *  •  1 

......  :    orus   aJo_- 

. 


•  •••'4  ••*••»•»• 

.          . 




(ii) 


TABLE  CF  CONTENTS  (Continued.) 

IV.  The  Future  of  the  District  Law.   .   .  *  . 
Status  of  oldtime  districts  no*  active. 
Recent  organization  of  new  districts   .   . 
Recent  changes  in  the  law     .   .   . 
Feasibility  of  organization  under  the  law  . 


Page 
38 

38 
39 
41 
42 


Appendi_x  _A.  Irrigation  Districts  Organized  in  California. 

Area 

Eonde  voted 

Bonds  issued 

Bonds  outstanding 

Status  of  district. 
Appendix  B.  Detailed  accounts  of  the  Activities  of  the  Individual  Districts . 


ib  *8a  Ic- 

.        .  '     .        .      .'..        .        .        .    «£>!  erfl  «£  a. 
...      .  .    iioivT. 


. 


yo  3Ji. 
>ib  lo  »ttf8*2 


THE  WRIGHT  IRRIGATION  ACT  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


I.  Co no it ion e  leading  t£  the  passage  o£  the  Act. 

Early  history;  _of  irrigated  agriculture . 

In  the  early  history  of  agriculture  in  California  we  find  little 
reference  to  irrigation  for  the  early  wheat  and  cattle  ranches  yielded  good 
profits  to  their  owners  without  irrigation.  Immense  tracts  of  land  were 
embraced  in  these  ranches  and  the  ranchers  looked  with  little  favor  on  the 
irrigated  with  his  email-scale  farming.  The  first  systematic  irrigation,  in 
California  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  Anaheim  and  Riverside  about  tne  year 
1859,  but  not  for  nany  years  after  that  time  was  the  irrigation  industry 
widespread  in  the  state.  The  tardiness  in  adopting  irrigation  was  due 
probably  to  two  natural  conditions:  rainfall,  in  many  sections,  was  sufficient 
to  raise  crops  without  artificial  application  of  water,  and  the  excellence  of 
the  soil  made  the  yields  heavy.  It  seemed,  therefore,  unnecessary  to  go  to 
the  trouble  and  expense  of  irrigating. 

Changed  conditions  £f  the  ^seventies . 

'In  the  seventies,  however,  conditions  began  to  change .^   The  broad 
stretches  of  wheat  land  in  the  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento  valleys  responded 
lepe  generously  to  the  efforts  of  the  rancher  and  it  was  found  that  but  a  frac- 
tion of  the  former  yields  could  be  obtained,  and,  to  make  matters  worse,  this 

Note.  1.  Wead,  Irrigation  Institutions,  p.  185.-- 

Note .  2.  Adams,  The  Distribution  and  Use  of  Water  in  Modesto  and  Turlock 
Irrigation  Districts,  California,  in  Annual  Report  of  Irriga- 
tion and  Drainage  Inveetigations ,  1904,  U.  S.  Department  of 

*!  nil  +111*0  Pennr-fl-re    Vn  _    3  . 


•  £  .3. 


_j*£.12£  ^£ 
xl  bnx'l   «!•.-;  «iifxolJ:I^'J   nx  sTtuJ-Ii/sxrt^   lo  v*o*exd  ^I?**  8itt  "I 

fjdv  vl-.  .    10  1  n  .  -six  oi-  ao:. 

'i°  3J  v  a^e«*o  IX»Q*  o*  aJi'L 

>3i   alj-d-il  iiJi./  jbicoi-aiu,  I  .     ^T  aesni-  oi   c 

i  .nx  o.-  ,-ua  oLam-lLMia  axti 

iaTsvxH  baa  jiiaiteii;-.  'io  yot  ..Len  aaj-  a^; 

;^w  amiJ-  J-.  ,  101  , 

,3-ioxJ-oa       .         ..i    ,.!,;.        .       .  iJO  X£ikrj»n  owi'   > 

lo  ooit^XIsoxa  ».•;•  >0  ftoii-HoxlqcJB   Lax. 

o-J"   oj  oJ  -usmoi   ,9-roioieuJ    ,  '.:,  x-ieae  JI     .  yv 

*  boe 


••°    °J     -•  -".OXj'XUUOO    ,*.. 

.  bos  niupBol 
ynuo:  boa  -nnismsi  auj-  lo  s^o'lla 

•^    , bflfi    «b  i    filuoo 


til   t 

• 

•    •      - 


(2) 


decrease  in  yield  was  accompanied  by  a  fall  in  the  price  of  wheat,  the  average 
for  the  five  years  preceding  1881  being  $1.63  per  cental  at  Modesto  as  against 
£1.45  per  cental  for  the  five  years  following.  Here,  then,  was  a  very  impor- 
tant change  in  conditions,  and  ranchers  began  to  consider  more  seriously  the 

i 

advisability  of  irrigation. 

•A  second  factor  affecting  the  situation  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
decade  1870-1880  and  from  that  time  on,  was  the  diseatief action  widely  felt 
with  water  right  and  land  holding  conditions.  Immense  tracts  of  land  were  in 
the  hands  of  a  few  parties  who  did  not  v/ish  to  sell  or  to  improve  their  property 
Kany  felt  that  the  owners  of  these  great  ranches  should  be  forced  to  subdivide 
and  sell  at  least  portions  of  their  land. 

The  effect  of  the  existence  of  these  larce  holdings  upon  the  problem- 
of  rater  rights  was  even  more  serious .  Under  the  common-law  system  of  riparian 
rights  ae  finally  applied  in  California  by  the  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court 
in  the  care  of  Lux  v.  Kaggin  (1886),  19  Cal .  255,  the  owner  of  land  bordering 
on  a  stream  could  prevent  the  appropriation  of  the  water  of  the  stream  to  land 
not  bordering  on  it.  When  the  developruent  of  irrigation  resources  began,  it 
was  found  that  the  owners  of  land  abutting  the  streams  had  entire  control  of 
the  situation  and  could  prevent  diversion  of  the  waters  to  non-riparian  lands. 
In  the  San  Joaquin  valley  the  situation  was  especially  aggravated.  The  firm  ' 
of  Miller  ft  Lux  owned  enormous  tracts  of  land  and  controlled  water  rights  on 
many  streams .  Their  policy  throughout  was  to  bitterly  oppose  any  persons 
desirous  of  securing  appropriation  rights  and  their  ability  as  litigants  is 
testified  to  by  several  Supreme  Court  decisions  in  their  favor.  Many  people 
built  works  to  irrigate  their  land,  only  to  find  when  they  attempted  to  turn 
the  water  onto  the  land, that  the  riparian  owners  would  not  permit  such  diver- 
sion, even  though  the  water  was  apparently  running  to  waste.  Such  "dog-in-the- 
manger"  tactics  naturally  created  a  very  real  demand  for  remedial  legislation. 


•  [isd  IU31  aiui>5jt>eiq  a'use'j  evil  a;tf  -:oi 
/I  sissy  3Vi't   utfci-  rtol  LaJaaa  'iaq  d*.  I| 

•jrun  i):i^   ,  srxoi-Mafloo  nl  9#aaA3  tnaf 

i 

i   "io  y^Jt£i3uai/b>i 

Ha   loj-osl  faoooea  A 
j-  i-erit  aoil  boa  0881-OV8X  eoeoeb 

;Iorl  Otx«I  DJUB  ^d^it  it»v 
io  Ilea  oj-  ;i:.        .  iw  ^sichuBq  wal  *  to 

vlVO    WiiJ'    J'. 

,uiu;I  ij.su-  'io  snoi^oc  ^B«»i  **  IJ 

s 

1C     93;:  0    J-OSlla    i. 

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oaiXqqa  '^11^:. 

jitWO     erfJ     ,  ;  i    .V    XilJ    10    «rjiiO    ».. 

.    •    .<    -..J    .  v     .  a  attf  J'ndveic;  jb 

uiwoRd'i  aojc*.-"viiTx   Io  .i9fij     .J'i  no 

.  a  i>aci  BAiiiai^a  s>»iJ  sai^.'          ael   io  atanwo  arij'  a 

.j  oJ1  s^^w«w  Sitf  Io  .  .io  ^nevei^  blt'oo  £inje  a 

- 

I  Io  sJ-ofl- 


.  •.  . 


''.. 

:18V9     /   . 


(3) 


In  southern  California  the  need  for  irrigation  had  been  felt  from 
the  first.  Southern  California  ie  a  land  of  li^ht  rainfall  and  rapid  run  off, 
with  the  rivers  flowing  in  cede  composed  of  immense  deposits  of  gravel  so  that 
a  very  large  portion  of  the  flow,  or  even  at  times  the  entire  flow  of  the 
streams  is  through  the  gravel  strata,  leaving  the  surface  almost  dry.  The 
streams  have  their  maximum  run-off  during  the  winter  and  in  the  spring  and 
sunner  very  little  surface  water  ie  available  for  irrigation.  Under  such 
conditions  an  abundant  water  supply  could  only  be  secured  by  the  construction 
of  storage  reservoirs  and  by  long  diversion  lines  from  the  mountains v  and 
such  projects  required  the  expenditure  of  large  suite  of  money.  Uany  private 
corporations  entered  the  field  and  supplied  water  to  various  sections,  cut  the 

•   . 

inrush  of  settlers  from  the  £aet  created  demands  for  even  more  rapid  develop- 

rent  then  was  taxing  place . 

These  and  other  conditions  created  a  strong  dec&ud  for  sct.e  law 
which  would  give  some  means  by  w&ich  farming  communities  could  overcome  the 
difficulties  caused  by  their  lack  of  money  capital  and  the  disordered  condition 

*  *       f 

of  water  rights,  and  secure  the  much  deeired  benefits  of  irrigation. 

Legislation. 

The  firet  legislative  enactment  along  this  line  came  in  1872  when 
the  California  legislature  passed  an  act  providing  that  tr.e  owners  of  land 
susceptible  of  one  mode  of  irrigation  might  combine  for  the  common  purpose, 
contributing  the  water  rights  owned  by  each  or  acquiring  new  ones  in  the  ueual 
way.  This  law  did  not  provide  ar.y  new  means  vtnereby  the  landowners  might 
finance  their  projects,  nor  did  it  attempt  any  solution  of  the  question  of 
water  rights . 


Kote  1.   Wiel:  later  Rights  in  the  Western  States,  Vol.  II.,  p.  1251, 

3rd  edit.,  Eancroft-lfrhitney  Co.,  S.  I".,  1911. 


tun.  bj.'  to   b.i£l 

OB   Iij\  >   "Jbed  nx  ^ni»oil  aTttvii  aitf  rftiw 

*:o  «ro  .  nave  10   ,*oll   8iiJ  lo  aoxiioq  e^ 

^jj«   sa^  giuvfisl  ^  lev^ij  arf*  rijuoui^  si  a 

19;  ..  '  •  u.t.'j  C:.  '.;   'i.LoaJ 

fj     .  «oio  ;?a±n^  toi    .  .  .)W  eoi?lit.'a   dlJ-J-il  v^^v  TaaRiu?? 

:  i9ifs  i  niijbfojcfjs  /IB  an;1 

,  ii^  ,aoi  £  .noiaisvib  ^/iol  ^a  im?  siiovn&aaT  a^etots  lo 

e^Bvi'i  .«    10   a  lo  e^w^x6«-^qx8  a.-ii1  baiiupai  aJoafccnq  tioua 

v  oj  T»w"ii'.v  b    .  j  bo»  blai'i   oriJ  beiw^na  anoi- 

aevu  tol  abru«.t9b  beJ-^eio  tze'd  stit  .noil  ansJUJsa  lo 


'io'i  <  ^  bsJ^aio   nnoxi'ibrtoo  is.-iJ'o  baa 

33x;inu::ti  (o  :   artttdH   aiuca  avig 

- 
lo   aJ1/  j  riOi/m  drut   9^5,'^«-^  boe 


j:-o  aixl  a-  al  j•3^il 

bosl  lo  ataawo  »a*  j-etiJ1  gniiixvoiq  im  m-  .  .    •         . 

-Ti.e   lo  Q bom  aao    to   t*." 

vjno  wsn  .-.".J.TJ  .TWO   3^.1^x1  t»J 

JeTQftw  srt^jfn  wen  yiXti  s, 


(4) 


In  the  neighborhood  of  Modesto  a  movement  was  started  to  eecure 
water  from  either  the  Tuolumne  River  or  the  Stanislaus  River .  In  1878  the 
Legislature  enacted  a  law*  creating  an  irrigation  district  to  be  called  the 
Modesto  Irrigation  District.  "A  corporation  was  authorized  to  be  formed  for 
furnishing  water  to  the  district  and  the  credit  of  the  State  and  Stanislaus 
County  was  loaned  for  the  payment  of  bonds  up  to  £500,000  in  amount."  Little 
came  of  this  enactment,  however « 

In  1887  C.  C.  Wright,  a  resident  of  Modesto  and  a  member  of  the 
State  Senate ,  introduced  an  act  known  as  the  "Wright  Irrigation  Act"  which  was 
expected  to  provide  a  solution  for  the  existing  difficulties.  The  Act  was 
entitled  "An  Act  to  provide  for  the  organization  and  government  of  irrigation 
districts,  and  to  provide  for  the  acquisition  of  water  and  other  property,  and 
for  the  distribution  of  water  thereby  for  irrigation  purposes, "  and  was  approved 
by  the  Governor  on  llarch  7,  1887.  It  provided  that  fifty  or  a  majority  of  the 
freeholders  owning  land  susceptible  of  irrigation  from  a  common  eource  could 
propose  the  organization  of  an  irrigation  district .  A  petition  was  first  to 
be  presented  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  county  in  which  the  lands  were 
situated  and  tue  petitioners  were  to  accompany  the  petition  with  a  bond  for 
double  the  probable  cost  of  organization  of  the  district »  conditioned  that  the 
bondemen  should  pay  all  such  coete  in  case  the  organization  should  not  go  through. 
The  petition  was  to  be  published  two  weeks  before  presentation.  A  hearing 
before  the  Board  of  Supervisors  was  provided  for  during  which  the  Board  night 
make  alterations  in  the  boundaries  so  as  to  permit  the  withdrawal  from  the  dis- 
trict of  lands  not  susceptible  of  irrigation  and  the  inclusion  of  additional 
lands  susceptible  of  irrigation.  The  Board  was  to  oivice  the  district  into 


;>'ote  1.   Adams,  Frank:  The  Distribution  and  Use  of  V.ater  in  Kodeeto 
and  Turlock  Irrigation  Districts,  Cal . ,  p.  96. 


(*) 


r  and-  nod- 

Sil. 

no  1  00  A"     .  Jox-i*^;:    .1 

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five  precincte  from  each  of  which  a  director  was  to  be  elected .  It  was  also 
provided  that,  if  BO  requested  in  the  petition,  the  directors,  either  three 
or  five  in  number,  might  be  elected  at  large.  Having  made  the  necessary 

L   r~  k  i  *-«•-•  4-  -  •    A  ^ 

division,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  was  to  give  notice  of  an  election  to  be 
held  in  the  proposed  district  to  determine  whether  or  not  the  district  should 

be  organized  and  all  persons  resident  within  the  district  and  possessed  of 

•hftltt  cus" -  -     •"     r   •        zr-e    -v    t?s*  *nfl  at     1"    ••»• 
the  qualifications  required  of  electors  under  the  general  election  laws  of 

the  state  were  permitted  to  vote  at  such  election.     Directors  were  also  voted 

»  n         •         ii       *     v       ..     i*       • 

for  at  the  same  time  with  the  further  provision  that  after  organization  directors, 

assessor,   tax-collector  and   treasurer,  were  to  be  elected  each  two  years.     A     ^ 
two- thirds  vote  was  necessary  to  carry  the  election  for  organization. 

The  board  of  directors   (all  under  bonds)  was  given  po*er  to  manage 
and  conduct  the  business  and  affairs  of  the  district;   to  make  and  execute  all 

v  H  HUM  . 

nece?pury  contracts;  employ  and  appoint  necessary  agents,  officers  and  employes 
and  prescribe  their  duties;  establish  by-laws,  rules  and  regulations  for  the 
distribution  and  use  of  water  among  the  owners  of  the  land.  The  Act  expressly 
provided  that  the  water  of  the  district  was  to  be  distributed  to  each  landowner 
on  the  basis  of  the  ratio  wnich  the  last  assessment  of  such  owner  for  district 

v •  .  r  ,   -  i •" 


purposes  tears  to  the  whole  sum  assessed  upon  tne  district  and  that  any  land- 
owner might  assign  the  right  to  the  whole  or  any  portion  of  the  waters  appor- 
tioned to  him. 


r  V.-K  r*^-i,r«o.    *r*  *af  no  IT  o\  x«  ;.«& 
The  board  was  to  have  the  right  to  acquire  ,  either  by  purchase  or 

condemnation,  all  lands,  waters  and  water  rights,  and  other  property  for  the 
construction  of  canals  and  works  ,  including  canals  atid  works  constructed  and 
being  constructed  by  private  owners,  lands  for  reservoirs,  etc.  In  case  of 
purchase,  the  bonds  of  the  district  might  be  used  at  their  par  value  for  pay- 
ment. Tne  board  might  also  construct  the  necessary  dams,  reservoirs,  etc.,. 


lo  a  doidw  to  fiojes  taoil  3;  .q 

jsiib    -  ertf  ni  .1  oa    ti   ,-• 

-Sj.    j"JS     fc  10 

a  editors  0vi&  oj  6.y*  aioaiviQqjj-s  lo  at/sott  enj   ,u 
JoiiJ,  .     .  oj-  ^aiid-aia  b»«oqoio  -.. 

;  anoaiiq  Us  bnu  fat 
io    ;  JLfli*H&a  &t^  laoaa  aiojaala  io  bsiiup*T  anoiJ-JBoi 

. noi^o«i3  dj>i.'3  **  aJ-pv  o*  &9idr±anaq  aiyv  QJ-JBJ-B 
a<1  :toi3ivonc  leivjtul  sdi-  ii*i\*/  aeixj  airiaa  eaj  t« 

:a*  ,  i*tuas9i3   bo* 
:a  8£tJ  v»lfi3   oJ- 

II«*)   aioi-aenxb  lo  o-xaoa   eriT 
t*iU    10  a-jittle  orttj  -jasniawa'  ecu  ^oubnoo 
.908/1  fnioqo*  brtc   ^I^rrd   ;3*o^TJrtos   yus^ 
•  bna  aslyi  ,a«si*\'cf  .1siXcf6J-ff«   jasi^uD  aisd*  >w  bna 

•-*-1*    i£  /  lo  »3t;   >. 

U0*e    '  •    OJ-    SAW   j-  ;0    l^BW    SiW    .+  £,-.  .Oiq 

oo;j£'j  84 j-   -io  si  j  no 

~  •  .jc 

76fTffO 

•  i* 

. 

. 

. 

~>na  ait. 

.  -i 

..TI    ^3i'i 
.  ,.  :/-  .      .  Bli9in»a»1     ,  .  ^nee, 


(6) 


For  the  purpose  of  constructing  necessary  irrigating  canals  and 
works,  and  acquiring  the  necessary  property  and  rights  therefor,  and  otherwise 
carrying  out  the  provisions  of  the  Act,  the  board  might  submit  to  the  people 
at  a  special  election  the  question  of  issuance  of  bonds.  If  a  majority  of 
the  votes  caet  were  in  favor  of  the  bonds,  the  directors  were  empowered  to 
issue  six  per  cent  coupon  bonds  in  ten  series  to  come  due  as  follows: 
5<  of  the  whole  number  of  such  bonds  at  the  end  of  11  years, 

f.4  M      M       M         H         It      n       II 

W/* 


H       M     It 


II    II 


9«   M      H       M         N         It      H       H       M      It    H 
Mt 


it  M  n  MII  n  ••••!£• 

it  M  N  it           it  n  n           it        n          it       ^.y           M 

ii  tt  it  n           M  tt  it           it       N           M       1  g          H 

n  it  ti  ii           ti  n  n           UN          ft       JQ           n 

ii  n  H  n           ti  N  H           n        n           H       20          N 

The  board  was  to  sell  the  bonds  to  raise  money  for  the  construction 
of  corals  and  works,  the  acquisition  of  property  and  rights,  and  otherwise  to 
fully  carry  out  the  objects  and  purposes  of  trie  Act.  Publication  of  notice  of 
sale  for  at  least  twenty  days  in  a  newspaper  in  each  of  the  cities  of  San 
Irancieco,  Sacramento  and  Los  Angeles  was  required.  There  was  no  provision 
for  the  exchange  of  bonds  for  construction  work  and  it  was  expressly  stated 
that  the  bonds  were  not  to  be  sold  for  less  and  ninety  per  cent  of  par. 

It  was  to  be  the  duty  of  the  assessor  to  make  an  annual  assessment 
of  the  property  within  the  district.  After  sitting  as  a  board  of  equalization, 
the  board  of  directors  was  to  levy  an  assessment  to  meet  the  interest  and 
payments  cue  on  outstanding  bonds.  The  ascessnent  thus  levied  was  a  lien 


(a) 


.  •   ... 

,  •loVo-'.yu*    vjj,.  -;tieqori  jfiiT-U.  ,  eat-iow 

slqosq  o»v  oJ  ^ii-ta'u.i  ;  ^jaoj    D.IJ-   ,  Jad   9--    'u>   aijoiaivoiq  o^J  ^uo   10 

.     iQ^rj  ,.?    ij     .  aoaoa   'to   a 

o^  u«.  »  »T9W  »3^ojoa'Ix&  eds  «  .ii   io  iov«'i  «i  aisw  lajso  aaJov  a^lj- 

:8?/oxlo't  HS.  QUO  sacs  o^  3aiT98  £16$  fix  aortoi  aocfuoa  ^»T(»3  •: 

,8-i^iaY  -f-C     lo  ma  eriJ-  J-£-  sbaod  lioua  lo  i&dsiua  alo/  lo  i^c 


y_[  <l  II  I. 


II  (1  II 


II  II  II  II  II  II  li 


>8 


•'  if 


II  II 


II  II          II 


ol  abaod 


II  I) 


OJ  -ii  an*  .  naiupajs  eiij   ,  3^10*  boa 

to  ooiJo.i  lo  noJureQilcfiJl     .  j-o/i   9^   'to   3eao<  -iu-.,   SJK^ 

- 


lo 


o.t.  ,011 


•v  ei»aT     .uatiupaT   aaw  ealdaoA  aoj  o 

1 
.  -isq  lo   ,   .  ,;a  91&..A 

>*  na  ?. 

49JB    rtB    YVSl 
'S8S*  •        . 


(7) 


upon  all  property  within  the  district*  and  if  the  assessment  were  not  paid 
the  property  was  to  be  sold  by  the  district  in  satisfaction  of  the  unpaid 
tax,  or  if  no  sale  could  be  made,  the  land  was  to  be  struck  off  to  the  district, 
The  Act  provided  that  if  the  officials  of  the  district  failed  to  do  their  duty 
in  the  matter  of  levying  and  collecting  taxes,  the  county  officials  should 

oerfonn  the  duties  prescribed  for  the  district  officers. 

ti-.-«d*  F«?ured.  c?  fc  'ir«t  lien  upt-c  all  real  prup«rty  la  the  district  for  u.« 

of  ta»  Act  wa*  hailed  fc.v  r^auiy  an  a  rental  of  «O«T  »t 


tfe*  sbetacles  la  tM  *»y  of  ti»  c*spl«t»  ci«»*lfprjs:.-.  cf  California'*  afci 

.-.•v:c.r.  of  water  to  mk*  it  productive;   (2)  to  coaqpel  *....(.  ui-  .ricr.  or  l&r 
ture;   f3»    :o  eevtie  water   ri/ht   xreutlv*   by  -i.-t»  trw   rifi 


d  060  rhe  aecetns,'-/   rsj 
lue  oi   th?  IR.UU  witr.  wi 


.:- 


.     ;  •  ,t'jii,-r.ib   enj  ..  CIs  new 

".  ,J    .bio 3    3J    Oj    a    -.'   Y^isc 

UUlJ          .        .  •!     blUOO     3JJ33     03    11      . 

I 

.oJlco  ai 

^  ,  -xoaeaq  aai  ;-iec 


(8) 


II.  Operations  Ifoder  the  Ac  t  • 


Such,  then,  WS.B  the  Wright  of  Act  of  1887;  an  act  empowering  fifty 

freeholders  of  a  community  to  initiate  and  a  majority  of  the  voters  thereof 

*;.y.  If  -:K-  -ved  c-v  iz  .     •-  i-.a  v«._ae  »C'.:d  ts  rj»U»=c 

to  sanction  the  organization  of  a  municipal  corporation  which  could  ieeue 
bonds  secured  by  a  first  lien  upon  all  real  property  in  the  district  for  the 


purpose  of  developing  water  for  irrigation  purposes. 

-.'  <*  ^u  '      -  .   -  '    c   .-vzv  -s:-,i,;h  provi&s  c  tliat.i&sd  incluiier    ;?.  R  district 


»-  *»r«  &ct«»lly  ue*d  on  it  or  r»«t.     Inaeraicfc 

General  opinion  rejp>rding  the   Act  . 

Vfer  lU^ht,   tt^ainct  hie  Till,   re    i:,~i.";-  .-c    *• 

The  passage   of  the   Act  vae  hailed  by  many  as  a  removal  of  most  of 
the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  complete  development  of  California's  agricultural 

resources  by  irrigation.     It  was  expected  to  accomplish  four  objects:   (l)  to 
it  vauld  y  ield  *  rvturn  eufficiart  fc   u-rw:    •„.*•  rto-  ,  c-r  t-lew  r«ii  \i&  !•-.:•«?   •. 


permit  the  development  of  large  areas  of  fertile  land  needing  only  the  appli- 

cation of  water  to  make  it  productive;  (2)  to  compel  the  division  of  large 

*.  o 

holdings  into  small  tracts  having  applied  to  them  intensive  methods  of  agricul- 
ture; (3)  to  settle  water  right  troubles  by  giving  the  districts  the  right  of 
eminent  domain  and  power  to  condemn  riparian  rights;  and  (4)  to  secure  lover 

'•.  :  <\          .;.".;•   : 

charges  to  the  users  of  water  for  irrigation. 

As  to  the  first  of   these  objects,   it  was  confidently  believed  that 
districts  could  be  organized,   bonds  issued  and  sold  and  the  necessary  works 
constructed  at  a   cost  very  much  below  the  final  value  of  the  land  with  water. 
Land,  vhich  without  irrigation  was  worth  in  the  neighborhood  of  |10  to  £30  per 
acre,  would,   it  was  thought,   be  worth  at  least  £100  per  acre  when  under  an 
irrigation  system,   and  the  expense  of  securing  the  water,  wnich  was  expected 
to  range  from  $5  to  £30  per  acre  was  felt  to  be  well  justified  by  the  increased 
value  of  the  land.     Small  as  wets  the  expenditure  necessary   in  proportion  to  the 
benefits  to  be  derived,   it  was,   nevertheless,  rcuch  greater  in  amount  than  the 


.Jk 


.11 


• 
anj  ai  ^"iwqo'ie   If9t  lie  nociu 

.  aeaoqiuc  noi^^Jmo;  iol 


a  i  *5nod 

guiqolsvao  lo 


wtf  iJar»«q 


Li 
'to  Jaoiii   to   jjjvornoi  £  ae  ^osaj  xd  oslx^ii  aeur  ^oA  ecU-  lo  e^B&Bjaq  8<iT 

.  iiolilfiO  lo  ^naaiqolsveb'  eJralvcipa  sii^   io   \CBW  add-  ni  8©Xo*^sdo 
o^  (I)  i  uaxlqmooojs  ot  bejoaqxe  asw  *I     .aoi^ja^iTix  fdf 

-i  antfil  alxJnat  lo  aaaie  eaial  lo 

laqraoo  oj  (ii)    :  • 

-It!  oil  i  Ow"  oaxlqqfi  ,jniv£u 

'to  JT.  .,    aJ-ox-i.  Y^  89la'yoij    J-u;3XT 

iswol  aluoss  oi"    (-fr)   i>/iB    je.-ri.xi  itsxirox'i  ansbrioo  oi"  iewo<r  OOF  rt; 

.  no  :  L    lOt    19J&V   10    B 

^  .  oj  aA 

.  . 

'  .03 

1e^  '    ftOXj/J  .X^^X 

rt^  -ido.ti;  ..sav  3TOB  laq  001$  tfe»ol  JB  iU-io<r  ed    : 
faajosqxs  BBW  .  .  :o  esnoqx}   o...    o... 

of  d-Ie  ,q  0£|  oJ- 

eriJ-  oj  .  _ 

«i  TE.  .  .>4f 


(9) 


landowners  were,  in  general,  atle  to  raise  ty  any  ordinary  means  and  the 
bond  issues  provided  for  by  the  Wright  Act  seemed  to  offer  a  means  whereby 
money  for  development  might  be  secured  in  the  eastern  states  and  in  Europe  in 
sufficient  amounts  and  at  reasonable  rates.  It  was  not  at  that  time  questioned 
that  if  the  land  were  improved  by  irrigation  its  value  would  be  raised  and 

buyers  would  be  readily  forthcoming. 

. 

The  division  of  large  tracts  of  land  was  expected  to  be  accomplished 
by  means  of  a  clause  in  the  Act  which  provided  that  land  included  in  a  district 
oust  pay  a  water  tax  whether  water  were  actually  used  on  it  or  not.  Inasmuch 
as  the  property  of  a  large  landowner  might,  against  his  will,  be  included  in 
a  district,  and  once  in  must  pay  the  full  water  tax  and  tax  for  bond  and  interest 
payments,  it  was  reasoned  that  the  owner  must  either  develop  his  land  so  that  • 
it  would  yield  a  return  sufficient  to  cover  the  tax,  or  else  sell  the  land  to 

those  who  would  develop  it,  for  the  charges  were  almost  certain  to  be  high  enough 

froip.  so  cJoinji  and  w*r«  left  witr.  '».  -. 
to  render  the  holding  of  unimproved  land  unprofitable . 

The  expectation  that  the  Act  would  afford  a  solution  for  water  right 
difficulties  was  perhaps  less  justified  than  the  others,  for  the  Act  expressly 
stated  that:  "Nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  deemed  to  authorire  any  person 
or  persons  to  divert  the  waters  of  any  river,  creek,  stream,  canal  or  ditch  from 
its  channel >  to  the  detriment  of  any  person  or  pe  reons  having  any  interest  in 
such  river,  creek,  stream,  canal,  or  ditch,  or  the  waters  therein,  unless  previous 
compensation  be  ascertained  and  paid  therefor,  under  the  laws  of  this  state 
authorizing  the  taking  of  private  property  for  tmblic  uses".  It  was  evident, 
therefore,  that  the  riparian  owners  of  water  rights  could  not  be  forced  to 
relinquish  their  claims  in  favor  of  districts,  but  that  they  could  merely  be 
compelled  to  sell  at  a  price  fixed  by  proper  legal  proceedings  so  that  the 


9i.  -.oasfli  THBtiib-io   x-ta  ^d   aaitii  oJ-  aid's  «i   ,  e-ia.v 

XJatfcfiw  aajBwra  £  lat'to  ot  ;.•  ij  ^  "10*  usb-tvQtq  esuaai 

-jqo-ujii  ci±  bu*i  aeJjsJa  ir:  baiuooa  9<f  i-rfgita  tnstnq 

',      ^    .    '  ,...•-  ;  ii'w 

,«  beaiai  aa"  bliiow  awlfiv  a*j  noiJ-.a^i-ni  ^cf  bs*  ai»w  5n«I  erij  li 


o»£   eJ  o^  boJobi  '  bnel  lo  Bfoai^   a;,i3l  'io  «oiaivi& 

B  fti   baijuisfli  6««I  J-ari^  Jsuivo-ir   doiitv  JoA  aiii1  ni   aaoBlo  a  1o 

,i"on  10  ^i  no   bsaif  ijlli.'j.'j'oa  STSW  TS^RW  Terfifreiiw  xaJ  -xa^jsw  £  VJBC 
oobularti   si  ,  Iliar  sia  taaisgfc-  ,  ^flgifn  i  vd  ogiel  B  lr  ;   as 

.;  .  .  »• 

i  btut  boo::   -iol  x^*  brw  x*J  'io-jB\sf  ilul  stiJ  ^sq  J'sucr;  ai  901x0  ottB  ,toxi^eil)  « 

•:  qolavat  isntxa  j'swm  Tenvvo  9^  j-jBtil  be.tO'iflai  asw  Jx   ,  :-. 
ot  one.:  sale  10   .xaJ-  ail  isvoo  o*  tnuioillua  Hiot^T  JB  bleiij  blwow  Ji 


bn«I  be.'-  .a  lo 

.  tjB  falijoi?  toA  srfJ-  -'s.^t-  . 
'il33«rtqxi.  ^-  -;o'i   .B'lwuro   erij-  vjssi  .  .waiaq  afiw 

no?.  -  .  ••fijuB  oJ-   'laraasb  ©if  llBda  ht*HXBj-itorj  .• 

o   (inflsn^a  4iet»TO   ,T9VXTt  v«fl  lo   ata^jsw  - 
:ii  J-a-o-ia-nJ:    ^w  ^rsxYjeii  anoansq  10  ;i  ytje  lo  Jrt..    I 

:19d-«»    9iiJ  ,  £j»n; 

So  sdj  i«bnu  ,  ": 

>I      .  "3  eat'   oxlcf-  -/irtq  lc 

. 

.!*•>     10 

^o-trr  iB.al  igqoif 


(10) 


districts , which  must,  because  their  land  would  in  general  be  n on- riparian, 
secure  their  rights  to  water  under  the  doctrine  of  appropriation,  were  still 
to  a  great  extent  at  the  mercy  of  the  riparian  owners .  It  is  true  that  they 
had  the  right  to  condemn  riparian  rights,  tut  as  a  practical  measure  such 
condemnation  was  rarely  feasible  because  of  the  large  number  of  riparian  owners 
v.ho  must  be  made  parties  to  such  suits  and  their  very  efficient  methods  of 
legal  resistance. 

Notwithstanding  the  clear  provision  of  the  Act  quoted  above,  it  was 
widely  believed  that  the  Wright  Act  would  give  irrigation  districts  rights 
superior  to  those  of  any  prior  appropriatore ,  even  without  condemnation  pro- 
ceedings .  An  example  of  this  belief  appears  in  the  operations  of  the  Tipton 
Irrigation  District,  near  Tulare,  The  district  constructed  works  and  attempted 
to  take  water  froo.  Tule  River  without  recognizing  the  rights  of  riparian  owners. 
They  were,  of  course,  restrained  from  so  doing  and  were  left  with  a  system  of 
irrigation  works  and  no  water . 

The  following  extract  from  the  Riverside  Press  of  November  25,  1689, 
will  give  some  idea  of  the  results  which  it  was  thought  might  be  accomplished 
in  the  improvement  of  the  water  right  situation.  Although  the  article  is  very 
ranbling  and  its  meaning  uncertain  in  places,  it  seems  to  represent  fairly  well 
the  ideas  of  many  regarding  this  feature  of  the  Act  and  is  quite  as  definite, 
orobably,  as  were  the  ideas. 

"The  Stanislaus  Mews  notices  one  good  feature  of  the  Y,rright  Irrigation  law, 
which  is  that  'it  fixes  the  title  of  water  in  the  land  of  the  district.  Cur 
preeent  system  fixes  it  in  stock  o*ned  by  individuals.  This  stock  can  be  bought 
up  and  the  water  of  the  river  taken  from  the  country  whereas  the  Wright  law  would 
save  the  whole  of  it  to  the  land.  Perpetual  water  right  errbodied  in  land  titles 
is  one  of  theprovisions  that  will  <;row  more  important  to  this  and  every  other 
irrigated  country  as  time  rolls  on." 

"Another  exchange  calls  attention  to  the  very  evident  tendency  for  the 
irrigation  districts  to  rapidly  absorb  the  private  systems  of  canals  and  ditches 
in  the  San  Joaquin  valley  and  expresses  the  belief  that  '4  few  years  nence  will 


,«l  -  •  -     •-         i: 

ICiJ-       -\        .  .oxlHxi.i/  ...  -.  <  ,  .  tie 

..xi  a,iJ-   lo   ^o  .    J-^>  J-n 

3    -^  ' 


driaioiiza  'n^v  lied-    boje                                                9b«tc  erf  i'au.-ii  orf» 

.  ?.  Ifid6-^ 
;  .   ..  .                   JOA   saj'  'to  noiaivoiq  i^alo 

•    .                        fiii  avia  blwow  ^aA                    J   J-sdJ-'baveil  ji«r 


sat  ni  SMJBeqq^   lailsd  airiJ-  lo  alqrimxe  nA     .3    -.: 
ba  ,eieXuT  issn  ,J 

• 

^3    J3    .{Jjfc'Jf    t"l'3l    31i  J    08    Moil  .  ;  .;00    'to    ,9'- 


«€-•  .•      , 

.  no  .L  -  «i 

• 


J    10    O; 

1 
. 

. 

"to  all."-. 


. 


see  the  waters  of  our  rivera  under  the  control  of  the  people .  Individuals  will 
then  be  debarred  from  appropriating  water  for  the  purpose  of  celling  it  to  thoee 
to  whom  it  already  in  juetice  belongs ." 

"These  ideas  suggest  to  ue  the  possibility  that  the  time  may  come  when,  in 
default  of  effecting  such  defense  of  our  water  rights  and  management  of  our  irri- 
gation system  as  we  desire,  tne  organization  of  our  various  systems  in  one  dis- 
trict may  afford  us  an  alternative  worth  considering.  It  is  certain  that  the 
users  of  water  in  Riverside  have  rights  which  can  not  be  taken  away}  rights  which 
are  not  larger  than  are  held  by  residents  of  other  sections;  but  the  total  of 
all  these  individual  water  rights,  when  consolidated  in  one  claim  has  the  appearance 
of  being  a  •monopoly1  and  this  view  is  encouraged  by  the  other  water  claimants 
who  use  the  term  to  justify  their  efforts  to  steal  what  they  can  to  increase 
their  o*n  supply  for  speculative  purposes.  It  is  expensive  business  getting 
these  rights  adjudicated  upon  by  the  courts,  but  evidently  that  is  the  only  way. 
A  study  of  the  Wright  law  may  possibly  disclose  a  way  which  will  be  more  speedy 
and  less  expensive  .* 

A  lower  cost  to  the  irrigator  was  hoped  for  from  furnishing  water  on 
a  large  scale  and  doing  away  with  the  profits  secured  by  private  water  selling 
corporations.  The  following  quotation  from  a  report  of  Richard  J.  Hinton  to 
a  United  States  Senate  committee^-  gives  briefly  the  conditions  which  were 
expected  under  the  Act. 

"The  general  effect  of  tne  system  when  tried  is  to  greatly  lessen  the  cost 
of  water  to  the  irrigators,  and  when  the  districts  are  more  unified  the  cost  of 
administration  will  be  much  more  reduced;  besides  this  the  intense  public  opinion 
and  watchfulness  sroueed  will  be  a  check  on  the  slightest  unnecessary  expense." 


Note  1.   Senate  Executive  Document  i'o.  41,  52nd  Congress,  let  Session, 
Report  cf  Richard  J.  Hinton  on  Irrigation,  p .  97 . 


Formation  of  districts  and  their  ac tiy i tie s  . 

In  the  eight  years  following  the  passage  of  the  Wright  Act  in  1887, 
forty  eight  irrigation  districts  were  organized  under  its  provisions  in  Cali- 
fornia. Since  1895  but  three  district  have  teen  organized,  two  in  1909  and 
one  in  1911 .  The  movement  f iret  gathered  strength  in  the  San  Joaquin  and 
Eacrar:.ento  valleys  and  in  the  year  1887  the  Turlock,  Hofiesto  and  Central  dis- 
tricts were  organized  to  cover  a  total  area  of  about  400, 000  acres. 


I.Ciw  •-.  _     -  a  I... 

.J-  oj  jl   „,«-£  r  •.Jaiiqc'- 

'ad  eoij-ijjji.   rti   •{ 


ax    .  oq  t».io    air  oJ 

-i'.-ii  ijjo    I:.  two   lu 

-8^  ' 

ti      .  .:  J-oii.^ 

ci&xai    - 

- 
•     - 

,'elr)  i;.  .    siriJ"   iaas    *\:  '  lo 

3ionJt   oj-  oflo  iJ's   o.l  isri*  x^^-sut  °^ 

.:  ti  3  lot 

so* 

sd    :  '      .  oq  Y^™  »fl-f  •)'-1 

". 


no  •leJ.sw  mwl  mortlt  ic  z  .iiTii  QiU-    uJ   J-soo  nawoi  A 

xli  -LL'oea  aJ-iL  tio6  bfte  c  -I  w 

noliii.i  .  T..  "icqa'i  i  .ict'i  iioi  . 

•id   asvi  :oo  9i- 


riaasei                     ij-   ai   beiU  n-  .  . 

ixnt;  oToa:  em 

no  ;faeoub-                            -ji  111.                            '.j& 

.  .10    3i09HO 


-   .It»  . 
.•  -;nl  n.1  iioJrtxH  . ! 


ni  o*J-   .faesjcfju^To  as  - 


(12) 


The  following  year,  1888,   saw  the   organization  of  seven  more  districts  in  the 

•.  ere   -ijr.ilt:    v,c  <~    • 

interior  valleys;  namely,  the  Alta,  Browns  Valley,  Colusa,  Draft,  kadera, 

Orland,  Poso,  districts.  These  districts  included  within  their  boundaries  a 

.  i-  , 

total  of  approximately  650,000  acres.  In  1889  the  movement  spread  to  southern 

California  and  of  the  five  districts  organized  in  the  state  in  that  year,  only 

-*  * 
two  were  in  the  interior  valley.  The  southern  California  districts  were  as  a 

rule  smaller  than  those  organized  elsewhere  and  the  total  area  of  those  organized 
in  1869  was  only  54,814  acres  for  southern  California,  an  average  of  16,200  acres 
as  contrasted  with  an  average  of  over  100,000  acres  for  the  first  ten  districts 
organized  in  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  Valleys  . 

Although  the  earliest  activities  under  the  Bright  Act  were  in  the 
interior  valleys,  after  the  first  two  years  the  scene  of  active  operations  was 
in  a  measure  shifted  to  southern  California.  In  1890  and  1891  nineteen  districts 
were  organized  in  the  region  south  of  Tehachapi  Pass  while  only  five  were  organized 
elsewhere  in  the  state .  It  thus  appears  that  although  the  Bright  law  was  enacted 

*1*  ! 

for  the  benefit  of  the  interior  valley  region  and  was,  perhaps,  better  fitted  for 
application  there  than  in  southern  California,  nevertheless  the  southern  part  of 
the  ctate  adopted  the  law  with  enthusiasm  and  of  the  fifty-one  districts  organized 
since  the  passage  of  the  act,  thirty  three  were  in  southern  California. 

During  the  first  few  years  of  their  existence,  the  first  few  districts 
organized  made  good  headway.  Bonds  were  issued  and  sold,  construction  work  was 
begun  and  carried  on  and  all  seemed  to  point  to  success .  The  Central  Irrigation 
District,  for  exam. le ,  disposed  of  its  bonds  and  constructed  over  fifty  miles  of 
canal,  averaging  forty  feet  on  the  bottom.  The  L'oceeto  and  Turlock  systems  aleo 
succeeded  in  completing  the  major  portion  of  the  system  planned.  In  each  of 

•••*  ABSUliO  . 

these,  cases,  however,  the  original  estimates  had  not  been  made  high  enough  to 
cover  the  actual  cost  and  the  districts  found  themselves  obliged  to  raise  more 
money.  The  Central  District  was  obliged  to  discontinue  operations  and  went 


ia^io  ed*  wsa   ,6881  ,  i^x  lot  »rfT 

.LoO    ,'<-    -  •  :«Y;eII*v  iox" 

- 

.  seiofi  CK  'to  Ifcioj 

...u  evil   t.-it  Ic  fa.i 
fiiaio'tili'D  :v  . 

- 

mi 

si".\  •   o  OH 

.a  .         jn3  olnsi^BToi          .  _ito 

L3. 

qo  avi-o^  lo  91160:.  a.i^     P  .;  ^6i^'tfc   ,8X6lI*v  to 

a -2   ail 

D9X>  .  .    -  -  -iO    8»IdW 

1  J-iigiT.?  eiit  hguoiij'ii;  i>..;;   8TiBsqq£   auiiJ  *I     .  aJ'^Je  9ifcr  nl 

•Oi 
10     . 


,  J3f>    SUJ-    10    v         : 


.  Yjswb- 

j 

ic    ..aj:5   ::. 

. 


(13) 


entirely  to  the  wall.  The  Modesto  and  Turlock  districts  »ere  unable  to  complete 
their  works  lut  continued  to  struggle  on  until  in  1902-1903  they  succeeded  in 
compromising  with  their  creditors  and  securing  the  completion  of  their  systems. 
The  history  of  other  districts  organized  prior  to  1890  uas  somewhat  similar  to 
that  of  the  three  mentioned,  eome  failing,  and  some  withdrawing  from  the  field. 

The  districte  organized  in  1890  and  later,  however,  found  a  somewhat 
different  condition  of  affaire.  They  were  not  able  to  sell  their  bonds  as  readily 
ae  had  been  the  earlier  districts  and  were  thus  forced  to  resort  to  all  sorts  of 
evasive  schemes  to  get  their  bonds  into  circulation  and  secure  the  construction 
of  their  plants.  Sucn  conditions  led  to  many  dishonest  practices  and  made  the 
progress  of  the  districts  extremely  difficult.  What  little  market  had  existed 
for  the  district  bonds  was  finally  and  completely  destroyed  when  the  Panic  of  ' 
1893  came  and  as  it  found  many  of  the  districts  just  6etting  i airly  under  way, 
its  results  were  disastrous .  Listricts  failed  to  pay  their  obligations  and 
everything  connected  with  them  wae  discredited .  Tnose  few  districts  which  were 
able  to  nang  on  through  such  a  stormy  time  were  not  long  afterward  subjected  to 
a  further  trial  in  the  ceries  of  dry  years  which  came  to  California  in  the  period 
1895  to  1900.  Through  such  difficulties  as  these  all  the  districts  were  at  one 
time  or  another  forced  to  default  in  their  interest  payments  and  the  whole 
operation  of  the  Wight  Act  was  thought  by  many  to  have  proved  itself  a  failure. 

It  ie  necessary  to  notice,  however,  in  considering  the  magnitude  of 
the  failure  involved,  that  many  of  the  districts  had  not  issued  bonds  and  hence 
tr.ey  were  not  financially  failures,  having  merely  recognized  the  lack  of 
feasibility  of  their  projects  and  withdrawn  in  time  to  avoid  disaster.  The 
following  quotation  from  a  paper  read  by  VJT  .  Frank  Adams,  Chief  of  Irrigation 
Investigations  for  California,  before  the  Conanonwealth  Club  of  San  t'rancieco, 


;:ote  1.   Transactions  of  the  Commonwealth  Club  of  California,  Vol.  VI. 
:;o.  8,  p.  527. 


J-   o-f 
as.  -  j.i  c-o  Juj   gjitO'A'  •;. 

.  .J    ittiff  ^nisiraoiqaioa 

Ow  -  -  .     0  J      *C  ..  ^*i     ,-  !  •  j. 

.  Jbl  ,  benoiJ-norti  asiii^   efU*  lo  JariJ1 

i«aio  sJ-oi^sib  edT 

:1a  lo  ^oij-ianco  j-na-iet 


"it-'  o-   beo^oi   ^i 

arij-  e..  I  Js.-ftofisiJj 

&o..  . 

•a 
,\v  ;y  Y^'i- 


aaj  rtsed  fajeri 


oJ- 


to 


lo 


t. 


oJ  ..       .00  aou3     . 

.  x.e  ai'oJt'iJ'Jji 
b.u:   lilliviil  aasw  a&nocf 

*   lo  x"«'[I  bruaol  tfx  aa   'one 
oil'  \^q  0-  xj     .  Btroitajsaxb  &i9tf  a^Ljayi 

al   eaouT     .fa-  fl^xw  JaJ'oettnoo  .ave 

o-  no  gfL-  a  OJ 

lo  3sii.      eauT  ai  L  .ul  £ 

j  rtojjg  dguoTtriT     . 


• 


. 
noj. 

L 


. 


noil 


(14) 


summarizes  the  results . 

"Forty-nine  districts  were  organized  (fifty  one  according  to  lateet  infor- 
mation), and  of  these  only  twenty-five  ever  issued  any  bonce.  Of  those  that 
issued  no  bonds,  none  at  this  time  has  any  outstanding  indebtedness.  Eleven 
have  been  legally  dissolved .  Twelve  have  not  been  dissolved,  although  they  are 
not  active.  One,  the  Walnut  Irrigation  District,  covering  about  900  acres  of 
land  in  Los  Angeles  County,  near  V/hittier,  has  been  active  and  successful  from 
the  date  of  its  organization  andhae  never  defaulted  in  any  way  in  payment  of 
indebtedness ." 

"Of  the  £5  that  issued  bones,  7  have  made  some  kind  of  a  settlement  and 
have  no  outstanding  obligations  as  districts  at  this  time.  Two  have  made  settle- 
ment, tut  still  have  email  outstanding  indebtedness  that  either  has  been  declared 
illegal  cr  can  not  be  found.  lour  have  made  settlement  by  exchanging  new  for  old 
bonds  and  are  now  active ,  and  with  the  exception  of  one ,  whose  reorganization  ie 
not  yet  complete  and  which  therefore  can  not  be  judged,  are  active  and  success- 
ful and  car.  undoubtedly  be  counted  on  to  pay  both  bonds  and  interest  as  due . 
1- ive  have  compromise  settlements  pending.  Seven  have  apparently  been  totally 
abandoned,  with  no  plan  of  settlement  as  yet  seriously  taken  up." 

" The  lowest  basis  of  settlement  has  been  30  cents  on  the  dollar, 

and  the  highest  between  80  cents  and  90  cents.  Several  compromised  at  50  cents." 

A  list  of  the  districts  organized  in  California,  the  acreage  included, 
bonds  voted,  bonds  issued,  and  bonds  outstanding;  also  the  statue  of  tne  districts 
is  given  in  Appendix  A.    So  great  was  the  diversity  of  conditions  encountered 
by  the  districts  that  a  generalization  regarding  them  is  very  unsatisfactory . 
The  agricultural  justification  varied,  being  in  some  cases  entirely  lacking. 
Ihere  was  a  great  diversity,  also, in  the  cotives  of  tne  organizers  and  in  their 
ability;  many  districts  were  mere  promotion  scnemes  from  which  the  promoters 
expected  to  withdraw  at  the  opportune  time  and  leave  the  settlers  to  pay  the  bills, 
'.'any  districts  were,  however,  honestly  conceived,  organized  and  managed .  In 
orcer  to  precent  the  conditions  for  each  district  so  that  a  fceneral  conclusion 
may  be  arrived  at,  accounts  of  the  operations  of  individual  districts  are 
presented  in  Appendix  B,  and  the  factors  tending  to  affect  the  success  or 
failure  of  the  districts  will  be  next  discussed. 


,  S.T 


-"'  •  •  ..a-Y*"10 

-       •  •  . 

nev..-..       .   .     ::..  :;0n    ,  a&nod  or. 

91-8    X°  •  /I       .  isvI03rU;;    \ 

>o   «*oi-.  .         rni  JufiJx  :     .  3V.L 

rac'  .  -raiJ-J-iii  '  -u»8rr   ,  \jnuoO  xl  «i   .: 

"io  Jni-  •       Msvan  .  ait}- 

".  J-£fsb.u«t 

:t     10*1 

..'.bnjsd-acruo  OH  sv*ii 
i>9'*£  ^ai-yo   lie 

3VBrf    1UO  I        .  „ 

2-c  --ao   lo  aoxJ-qaoxe  jiii-  .->  -»B  won  ais  b;. 

-33  ,u^  scf  J-oit  aea  sioleio.  ,ron 

:a  afanocf  iiJ-ca  tnuoo   Q  lt-1 

X-CJ-'  •  e  6  ......  :sq  a^aamslJ-. 

"•<1J;  - 

.  I^-J-ea    t  .....  ••«'" 

I    i 


3io£   g;ij-    ,  jaiiriOii-b  •  .  .      L&  a&t  lo 

8^'  •     •  oaJLs   i/iaibnjSiTa.ri.'e   -.jiirjocf  bn« 

08 

j-  ys 

_ 

io   3svj.  .w*  ni.oalB   ,YJ"i8'i9vi 

a*10-  -:ij-omo-'  .••         lib  ipttv     . 

.    '•  • 

^0     ,b8ViQO«00    \lc 

)  JOJL«S.-  -:ol   anc  .210 

,aqo  e;.. 

10    83600^-5    e. 

. 


(15) 


III.  Die  cues  ion  jof_  the  Causes  o_f_  Failure. 

In  presenting  and  discussing  the  history  of  a  movement,  the  phases 
to  be  presented  must  be  selected  with  reference  to  the  purpose  for  which  the 
compilation  of  facts  wae  made  and  to  what  is  expected  to  be  accomplished.  In 
the  present  c'ase  the  aim  is  to  present  the  history  of  the  districts  in  an 
unbiased  manner  cut  the  motive  underlying  the  attempt  is  the  desire  to  show  how 
and  *hy  the  districts  proved  successful  or  unsuccessful .  This  being  the  case 
the  accounts  of  the  activities  of  the  districts  (Appendix  B)  have  laid  greatest 
stress  upon  those  phases  of  tr.eir  operation  which  were  most  intimately  connected 
with  their  success  or  failure.  Having  thus  presented  the  facts  in  the  case, 
the  next  step  will  be  to  attempt  to  analyze  these  facts  and  draw  from  them  some 
conclusion  regarding  the  general  fearibility  of  the  irrigation  district  form  of 
organization. 

.  •  • 

"ature  jj-f  prompt  ion. 

In  examining  the  formation  of  an  irrigation  district  the  first  sub- 
ject to  receive  attention  is  the  nature  of  thepromotion;  that  is,  the  personnel 
of  the  promoters,  and  tneir  motives  in  promoting  the  organization.  It  is  obviously 
a  matter  of  very  serious  import  to  any  new  enterprise  whether  its  organization  is 
brought  about  by  those  wno  have  an  honest  desire  to  work  for  the  lasting  success 
of  the  enterprise,  or  by  those  who  merely  desire  to  enrich  tnemselvee  quickly  at 
the  expense  of  others  and  to  leave  the  burdens  to  be  borne  by  the  less  fortunate 
or  leec  wary.  So  alco  is  it  a  matter  of  concern  whether  those  in  charge  of  a 
movement  are  men  of  business  ability  sufficient  to  cope  with  its  problems  and 
difficulties,  or  are  nen  of  mediocre  ability  who  have  not  had  sufficient 
experience  in  large  business  affaire  to  enable  the.-.",  to  handle  the  work  at  hand. 


nl 

ao.i.  i.v  lot   oaoc'iijq   I  -5    sa   d1?^.  •.  be.-:  '          :   0^ 

nl     .  -co 

flfi  .  .  .1  eaj-  ai-uj1 

. 

ja   oavoiq   a^o  <ns 

^3.  :     -  a  join-  iJ-    10   aaxJ-. 

3HJ-  q 

.     .  ei»iij  i   •!-. 
-   asx-tf:n^s  oj    .          .         . 
'to  a'i    Im 

.it;. 

,£tp  " 

•  nio't   aaj-  gjiL,.  ;tl 

Ie;  ..-    jnoiJomo-.  to   dTif/          .  .    ai   noJ 

.-iq  a!  aovijom  ii.    . 

i    W9il      - 

. 

'      . 
I 

L  10 

•  '     • 

. 

-   aitetlf 


(16) 


There  are  thus  two  lines  of  distinction  to  be  drawn  as  regards  the 

-.he  Lifcas  *ists.  irri^.a'isr.  1-iftt.rict  (8xa  1 
promotion  of  the  districts:  (1)  the  purpose  of  the  promoters,  and  (2)  their 

ability  . 

•in*  district.  Ir«v  told  trsir        *.o  ift* 


Purpose  _o£  promoters  . 

As  to  purpose  the  promoters  of  irrigation  districts  can  be  separated 

whc  oi*e*d  i«r^a  trails  oi  loccJ  *hi  *£.  «.\£  cf  ,i'.t 


into  two  general  classes:  tnoee  who  desired  to  organize  a  district  and  secure 
uater  with  which  to  improve  their  land  with  a  view  to  fanning  it  more  efficiently, 

-'  • 

and  those  who  vished  to  organize  a  district  in  order  that  they  might  sell  lands 
•jc-i'ti  for  ** 

to  new  settlers  and  thus  derive  a  large  pecuniary  profit.  Under  the  first  class 

were  usually  found  the  holders  of  small  tracts  of  land  who  wished  to  adopt  more 
intensive  methods  of  farming,  although  it  was  net  confined  to  them  for  many  owners 

of  large  tracts  were  honestly  desirous  of  making  the  districts  successful. 

a.-  (•.<•<-.;  as  A  Cirttrnct  «r.r  rir-.r  '.n*.?;'  wai«fc 

The  organization  of  the  V»alnut  Irrigation  District,  near  Rivera,  Cali- 

fornia, was  by  men  of  this  type.  The  district  is  small  and  the  holdings  in 
email  tracts.  Each  owner  has  developed  his  land  to  a  very  high  degree  so  that 

-Y   V.T«  5T  r.'.C'Jt.  f. 

the  average  land  value  within  the  district  is  about  $2,000  per  acre.  The 
Glencora  Irrigation  District  and  the  Pomona  Orange  Belt  Irrigation  District 

C  t-  *  i 

also  were  organized  by  men  of  this  class  but  have  not  been  successful  because 

of  lack  of  water  supply  . 
diffiotu  r.i«cr  rucc  eonaltioaH 

The  second  claee  included  the  many  different  groups  which  expected  to 
derive  some  excessive  pecuniary  advantage  from  organization.  Owners  of  water 
rights  and  reservoir  sites  often  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  organization  of 
districts  in  order  to  unload  tneir  holdings  .  A  striking  example  of  this  was  the 
case  of  the  Big  Rock  Creek  Irrigation  District,  in  Los  Angeles  County.  In  this 
instance  a  group  of  Los  Angeles  men  filed  claims  upon  Big  Rock  Creek  for  a  large 
quantity  of  water.  !Co  actual  water  right  was  obtained  by  use  or  otherwise,  but 
an  irrigation  district  was  soon  after  formed  and  the  promoters  were  paid  t  75,000 


vie   e-. 
930;:  .     (I)    :  :io   sd«    lo 


e  .j     !£_  s^ocriui 


2£b    B 

,Tj.L  :         -v  JB  riJ  .  .  iw  h^i 

•3b.Xi:  I  .C.r.w  .   ,  .  .  to  rti  J-Qi'ir^ib  s  esiars^io   o 

i>  tanit  9u-   tybaU     .  tilo  /XTeia  eu.i^   on  »*a  oi- 

iJJ    8T3W 

::v/o  \n.  Uioo  Jon  s  i  lo  aooa^sm  svient- 

y.'iJ   jai;u;ii:  lo  ai/o'j-  sd-osic-  1« 

'  liil  Jip'ftl*;..'  anJ   lo  ."joi. 

on£  ILema  si  i-oiiirail)  arf?     .  eqx*  airiJ1  lo  fieic  x^  ""**  .fliniot 
v  'i^ev  e  od-  bnal  ai.i  beqolavab  asa  -xanwo  . 

.        .i  Teq  J-JJ-O^B  ai  joi'.  stiJ" 

it'll  J-.  .  .     . 


.  1 

,B'J:.  .  on 

txbioa 
i9b 


o: 


-i 


-•jaw  lo   anenwO     .  .  .  'io  .no':i   O.JBJ 

lo  .10.  . 


I 


(17) 


for  their  alleged  righte,  the  payment  being  made  in  bones  of  the  district. 

In  the  case  of  the  Linda  Vista  Irrigation  District  (San  Diego  County) 
it  is  said  that  the  owners  of  water  righte  and  reservoir  sites  were  the  prime 
movers  in  the  organization  of  the  district.  They  sold  their  holdings  to  the 
district  for  $160,000  in  bonds,  of  which  sum,  it  is  charged,  the  directors 
received  about  (40,000  as  a  bonus. 

In  many  cases  those  who  owned  large  tracts  of  land  which  was  of  little 
value  without  irrigation,  were  active  in  the  organization  of  districts  as  a 

»  > 

means  of  rendering  their  land  saleable.  One  of  the  best  illustrations  of  this 
motive  for  promotion  was  in  the  case  of  the  Rialto  Irrigation  District,  situated 
about  four  miles  west  of  the  city  of  San  Bernardino.  A  corporation  known  as 
the  Semi  Tropic  Land  &  Water  Company  owned  about  30,000  acres  of  land  for 
which  it  had  paid  not  over  (25  per  acre.  Into  this  tract  it  brought  settlers 
and  as  soon  as  possible  organized  a  district.  A  contract  was  made  under  which 
the  company  was  to  construct  and  turn  over  to  the  district  certain  pipelines 
together  with  certain  water  rights  in  exchange  for  $500,000  worth  of  bonds. 
Meanwhile  the  company  sole  land  at  about  ^200  per  acre  or  about  eight  times  the 
price  at  which  it  had  been  acquired.  The  plan  was  clearly  to  have  the  district 
do  the  work  of  improvement  ir.  order  that  the  company  might  reao  the  benefit. 
This  form  of  promotion  was  very  common  throughout  the  state  and  led  to  much 
difficulty  for  the  officers  of  the  districts  organized  under  euch  conditions 
were  mere  puppets  in  the  hands  of  the  real  promoters  and  the  contracts  entered 
into  were  usually  very  one-eided. 

The  Alleseandro  Irrigation  District  was  formed  by  promoter*  for  the 
purpose  of  selling  both  land  and  water  righte.  The  Bear  Valley  Company  interests 
secured  a  large  tract  of  land  which  they  sold  out  at  several  times  its  cost  and 
then  brought  about  the  organization  of  the  Irrigation  Die^rict  to  which  they 
sold  for  £765,000  in  bones  the  right  to  buy  water,  a  right  which  afterwards 


(vi) 


..toii.?3Jca  add-  to  abnotf  ni   ^  3i.,r   ,  afd^l-  bssall*?  "tiartt 

-'  -         fli 

.jii  ittfjEwr  lo  eaJ  J'jBiiJ'  bl^a  ai  Ji 

liedJ-  Jloa   YSiiT     .  Jo-ii-faxis  atit   lo  ncx±j;sirt£^io   ehj   ni  aisvoa 
ii.,   j»ij-   .oa^iijao  el  J-i   .asus  a  si  aw  'io   ,  aonod  rti  000,.  /J  J-siij-sib 

.atraoa  ^  SB  CK30,0*|i  J-t/ode  bevx 
e-  1o  ajojati1  a^iul  ij^n  -o  o.^v  ssoii^  aaaao  \n&®  al 

ditiw   ,iioXvf'>:;:jX'ni  . 

j-393  eiiJ-  ^o  a«0     .8ld^al^.i  bajsl  •jiooJ-  gn. 

.  -Til  ojIiiF.  auj  lo  oajao  s»ur  nx  S^MT  noij-omoit 

3  A     .  ned  fus3  to  ^-i-c  s^J1  lo  d-aea  aalin 

^  .02  d-uodv?!  tortwo  ^njaqmoO  I«J-JB«/  4  iaojej  oiqo'iT  Jtme2 

jo/'iJ1   3.Lij    oJrtl     .  aioi  Sjj)  TSVO  ton  J.LBC  ofii  ^i  >1; 

si  a-ew  ,  .       .J-.yiaj.aii,  B  b8sx;ijiciio  aioiaaoq  ae  nooa  as  boa 

aaniis-  .  ,JflB  j-ow  Jea"i    -j^   «i.  us    i..j 

>  riJ-xow  00  lo't  aa«BriDxe  nl  .  istev  nieJ-ieo  rid-i 

Juocfji  10   snoa  i  :  Jb.tel  olOT  ^riBqaoo  ariJ- 

•^  &J3ii  J-i    :.:  80X10 

i    to  jiio',7  adJ-  Ofc 

ao.  -. 

tebitw  besi  .  .  j-  lo  B- 

.  bS'    -  :j  0X1*1: 


......  .    •        ,      , 

-:oq 

914/393 

. 


(18) 


proved  worthless. 

It  seems  now  quite  obvious  that  enterprises  launched  by  such  pro- 
moters could  not,  as  a  general  rule,  te  expected  to  be  carried  through  to  the 
advantage  of  anyone  except  the  promoters  themselves  .  Sometimes  even  these 

gentlemen  lost  money  for  reasons  to  be  mentioned  later  .on. 

The  It        "  PI"  '^.e  ;  -*-a  organized  ifl  ^' 

Ability  jtf  promoters . 

Many  grades  of  business  ability  were  found  among  the  promoters.  In 
the  majority  of  the  districts  those  in  charge  were  fanners  almost  entirely 
unfamiliar  with  the  handling  of  large  projects  and  quite  naturally  these  managers 
failed  when  placed  in  charge  of  the  issuing  of  several  hundred  thousand  dollars 
worth  of  bonds  and  the  construction  of  large  irrigation  systems.  The  difficulty 
was  made  greater  by  the  fact  that  the  system  of  election  of  directors  by  the 
districts  did  not  always  bring  the  beet  men  to  the  front.  As  each  district  was 
divided  into  precincts  and  one  director  chosen  from  each  precinct,  it  was  not, 
as  a  rule,  possible  to  get  the  best  ;r.en  of  the  district  as  might  perhaps  have 
been  done  under  a  system  of  election  at  large .  It  is  true  that  the  Act  provides 
that  districts  may  at  the  time  of  organization,  provide  for  the  election  of 
cirectors  at  large,  but  this  was  done  in  very  few  cases. 

Although  in  general  the  officials  of  the  districts  were  not  well 
fitted  for  the  task  before  then,  in  quite  a  number  of  cases  the  districts  did 
have  excellent  management.  Mere  this  was  the  case  the  affairs  of  the  districts 
were  far  more  economically  administered  than  with  the  average  district  and  the 
outcome  was  made  lees  disastrous. 


bevorrq 

-OTUT  uo*je  Y^  berioiiusl   •jaux-u;-  amesa  J"! 

:  sliTI     1.    -  J8    OB     ,.fO 

KQV©  Bomx.fa'ioS     .a  enit  J-qeoxa  enox"JS  lo- 

.ao.iet^I  benoi«tne>i::  sd  o^  a«oe£9T  TO!   ^e^ora  Jaol 


.£  'j^  !£ 

jnonie  Dftuol   979*  '^jfeliujss  saauirii;«   1o   390*13  v. 
ataonBi   ai&y  dg'tpuo  nx  aaorij  vtQs.i$3l.b  *ai  'lo 
•.•jjs-n  93iup  bofi  ajoatoir  SJTB!  lo 


jv63  lo  ^-tw^ai  3-tt  ^°  s^iKiio  ai  oeoslq  nedw  belisl 
^a  :£oiJi0ini  ^disl  lo  noiJoinJanoo   enJ-  fln*j  aonoa   lo  fiJiow 
i    ^o  noiJ-jalo  lo  ae.,*!i£2   suf  S£.~tf  jojil  attf   A^cf  IQJBST^  ab«a  assar 

as./  ^Jto  riaj39  &A     .  d-noT;   saJ  o-   nem  J-aocf  sil*  3runci   8^*1*  *on  bib  a^ax-xJ-sii) 

,j.  Ji   ,Jonxr.  j  JTIOT!  rtagcui::  i:  ;   e«o  JOB  sJoniotnq  oj:  ~/ib 

j^-t*11  3J;''  *oi''-  io  narn  i'aeJ  eAJ"  ;f&3  oi^  aldia^oq  ,elin  ^  ae 

i-jsrid'  euii'  ex  J*I     .  .oele   10  caela^  B  let  .ob  a 

lo  Ie  afij  nol  e;,.  ic   lo  auxl  eiid-  i'ja  ^Btn  ^J^x^if.•".xb 

.2  jl  ^av  nx   anon  3i>w  axfuf  j-ui   ,s^*uel  j-;:   STOJ  -j  • 

-.xoxllo   s^J-  i/jiun:)  ,  ni  riau 
•j   *o  'loiirar.i  e  9^_  . 

3J3VV    8X  .  . 


ruo 


(19) 


Jue  t  i  f  i cat ion . 

The  nature  of  the  promotion  of  a  district  may  have  a  very  potent 
effect  on  its  success  tut  it  is  quite  conceivable  and  even  probable  that  there 
should  be  districts  which,  because  of  unfavorable  physical  or  economic  conditions, 
might  fail  not  matter  how  good  the  ability  and  purpose  of  the  promoters  might  be. 
The  large  number  of  failures  among  the  irrigation  districts  organized  in  California 
lead?  ue  to  attempt  to  judge  of  the  justification  which  existed  for  their  forma- 
tion. This  is  a  very  hard  point  to  decide  ir.  a  satisfactory  manner  and  among 
those  who  are  most  familiar  with  the  history  of  district  operations  few  would 
be  found  to  agree  on  this  point.  Certain  it  is  that  many  districts  lacked  the 
water  necessary  to  irrigate  the  land  included  within  their  boundaries.  Such 
districts,  of  course,  were  disastrous  failures.  But  many  districts  had  both 
the  land  and  the  water,  and  yet  were  not  able  to  successfully  carry  out  their 
plans,  and  from  this  it  seems  that  there  were  other  important  factors  to  be 
considered  which  were  either  overlooked,  underestimated  or  disregarded.  Let 
ue  consider  the  various  factors,  dividing  them  into  two  Croups:  (1) agricultural 
factors  ,  and  (2)  economic  factors. 

Agricultural  f  actors . 

The  first  thing  to  be  considered  in  planning  an  irrigation  system  is 
the  land  available ,  for  if  it  be  not  of  a  quality  suitable  to  the  crops  to  be 
raised,  the  expenditure  of  money  and  effort  in  securinfc  an  irrigation  system 
will  be  uselessly  made .  The  area  and  topography  of  the  land  must  also  be 
considered  but  they  are  of  primary  importance  in  connection  with  the  cost  of 
cutting  the  land  under  irrigation  and  will  therefore  be  considered  under  that 
head . 


.;.  i^u 

,•  .  '  '  ..."     10     3'.  -lT 

•*x  Jx  3L-.i   aeeoo.. 

,3i;  .  [ij3-IOV.t  ItlU    lo     j-7yi:090'     ,49  9^    bit. 

.t,,  tuq  bra:   vJ-xj-xa*  ouJ  booc,  wod  le^J-iun  ton  List 

0   stojcT^^io  noiw.a  ;J:'nJ:  -.  jiiu;   aeiuIJLB'i   lo  nactaum   egiol 

.  ..i±  TO!  osJ-sixa  tioinw  noiJ-Boxlxd-aut  •***  ^o  asbi/L  o^  Jt; 

^-...  :u  a  ni  e.  -tan  ••nev  a  si  nirlT     .  noit 

fal.  ,  qo  Jo-  .  io  ^Toi'ax^  ed*  lUi'*  rtailiiiiBl  Jaora  e  aao.lj 

rid"  b  ;ufl£r!  JBriJ-  ax  Ji  ai/iJ-teO     .tnioq  ai;it  no   0913^  oJ  -   »cf 

iio:.        .         .     .:    .  .   •:  •     \f  nitifinr  beut'Ioni   bnfil   9fi^   9J-fl:iJ:'nx  oJ-  Y7iE33&oon  " 
.xb   ^ja&iTt  tuti.     .3e^i!Ii^l   SA;  ib  aiaw  .saiuoo  lo   ,So- 

"IXb.lJ"     ^  L"  -         '  3W     J"s)V     •j^' 

jasl  J-ft^J-ioqf.ii  Toaj-o   aia.r  aigaJ-  J-e^J1   ^meea  ii  sxnJ  moil   ; 

J18XB   TO    C;  :.ib«i.'    .bo^OOlTQVO    'Icjiij'xe    •••>•: (j\    .ini:v,v 

--i  .      .      joi.i  owtf  oJ.-i-          .  (   ori*  'i-  •   aw 

oJunonood   (S)   bos   ;    aio     . 


x  t 

'J     3CfOTO    t:  .  JS     10     'on     9- 

:  -  .       .  ':.a098    liX    J-10I     . 

90 

J'soo  9...  iiojci'oeafloo  nx   aooeJ'io  to  9^J8 

••10  bs-iaix'.:  .olsneiiJ-   Hi*  b:i*j  ff  .  u<T 

. 


(20) 


In  the  California  irrigation  districts  the  greater  part  of  the  land 
was  in  practically  all  cases  well  suited  to  irrigation  and  could,  with  irrigation, 
have  been  mace  to  yield  good  crops.  In  many  cases,  it  ie  true,  the  land  vac  not 

well  suited  to  the  crops  which  the  farmers  intended  to  raise,  but  probably  in 

,,   ,   ,   ...  .    '*e.  ;  -       *      ,     .,   ,  .  ,  . , 
no  case  was  the  land  unfit  for  raising  crops  of  some  desirable  kind  if  water  could 

be  placed  upon  it.  The  fact  that  in  many  cases  the  farmers  did  not  know  what 
crop  was  best  adapted  to  the  soil  conditions  led  to  difficulties  in  making  agri- 
culture pay,  but  once  the  lesson  had  been  learned  and  a  proper  crop  selected,  the 
land  was  in  all  cases  adapted  to  irrigated  agriculture . 

In  the  matter  of  water  supply,  however,  the  case  was  very  different, 


and  to  the  difficulty  encountered  in  securing  a  water  supply  was  due  the  failure 
of  many  districts. 

In  southern  California,  especially,  the  water/supply  was  limited  and 
the  construction  work  necessary  to  obtain  it  was  exceedingly  expensive.  Further- 
core  ,  almost  all  cf  the  available  supply  was  already  owned  or  claimed  and  liti- 
gation almost  invariably  followed  any  attempt  to  secure  a  water  supply.  A  few 
examples  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  difficulties  encountered  by  southern 

I"  *" 

California  irrigation  districts  in  attempting  to  secure  water  supplies. 

The  Otay  Irrigation  District  in  San  Diego  County  employed  James  D. 
fci.uyler,  C.  E.,  to  report  on  a  plan  to  impound  water  in  the  mountains  and  convey 
it  to  the  district,  a  distance  of  48  miles,  he  reported  that  it  would  cost  not 
lese  than  $1.200, COO  or  about  427  per  acre.  This  was  more  than  the  district 
felt  able  to  pay  and  the  plan  was  abandoned . 

The  Ferris  Irrigation  District  and  Allessandro  Irrigation  District 
bought  "water  rights"  from  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  for  i3C  (in  bonds) 
per  acre.  The  water  rights  entitled  the  districts  to  buy^  »ater  from  the  company, 
but  as  the  company  could  not  supply  the  water  contracted  for,  the  district's 
received  nothing  valuable  in  return  for  their  bonds. 


(  tto  J:  j  ;:  ji.Tu  'V>  *'   , 


i  Bimo1tiI«D  a;i«   ni 

i  ITIX  oi  Hsvr  IJLa  •£•£•'  'iq  ni 

»i  Ji   ,Esai:o  \yiJ3i.i  nl     .  aqoio  b^  iv  of  suem  a9.»cf 

.a  oiii"   ol  i>«j"ii;3 

7   ii  b«i:i  io  aqoTo   ;  ;  ilru;  bosl  euj-  ^---w  tts«o  on 

3-ij    3^-  .i"jc  auqw  bsatlq  scf 

oJ-  osl  anoi-ibnoo   lies   sa^   o^   bfeJqjebjB  tz&d  3«*  qoio 
&  DOB  joni^al  HSSJ   b*«.i  .ioa:  aono  Juo    jX84?  9iUjJU;o 

j  i  o3   L.  lift  nl  BBAT  boel 

,x-rct!-ijr-  «I 

as-\>r  \L  .  .    oj  on* 

.aJoiiJai  lo 

c^  v  -«w  oty-  ,  .  ,si«iolilBO  oa  til 

.'  , 

-ixil  uiix.   b  sir:!-.  la  io  benwo  v.  .  .      li^vs   artf  lo  lie  Jaonjl/j   ,  •. 

>.w  A  81W093  oJ  ;  lo'i  Y-t^'i'^vfli  isot 

goi^Iuol*  ;  li   oj    avnas  Ili'.v  .  ..xs 

eiwoaa  od-  ^..  ITU  ^i 


,  ^  . 


:  taj 


,. 


.tioqon-  .  .  to   eoflfi,    , 


,.g  .0  to3 

•   ji 


. 


• 
. 


. 

ae  t«d 

31 


(21) 


Still  another  difficulty  was  encountered  by  the  Grapeland  Irrigation 

District,  situated  near  San  Bernardino,  and  the  Vineland  Irrigation  District, 

<"•-• 

situated  near  Los  Angeles.  These  districts  attempted  to  secure  water  by  driving 
tunnels  under  a  stream  bed;  the  Grapeland  district  under  the  bed  of  Lytle  Creek, 

and  the  Vineland  district  under  the  San  Gabriel  River.  In  each  case  the  district 

;  a  ir.  !  .6 

sunk  a  tunnel  at  great  expense  but  was  restrained  by  owners  of  rights  to  the 

water  of  the  stream  above  from  taking  the  water  developed  by  the  tunnel. 
fli    i.        .  rurniMWc  c-y  >-~<avure  t   anc  Tces.«»   •-•* 

In  Antelope  Valley  several  districts  were  organized  but  could  not 
secure  adequate  water  supply  because  of  inadequate  and  uncertain  rainfall  on 

the  watersheds. 


*p»Af»t«  f»r  t.'.c-  COPI  •-  ± 
In  the  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento  Valleys  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 

water  was  less  universal.  In  the  Sacramento  Valley  the  supply  was  abundant 

i  »p.T*r  fri... 

and  also  in  aany  of  the  districts  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  but  in  the  dis- 
tricts situated  in  the  southern  end  of  the  last  named  valley  the  water  supply 
was  very  scanty.  For  example  in  the  Poso  Irrigation  District  and  the  Kern  & 
Tulare  Irrigation  District,  both  located  near  the  present  town  of  Delano,  an 

adequate  water  supply  was  not  available.  So,  also,  in  the  Huron  Irrigation 

*  e> 

District  and  the  Sunset  Irrigation  District,  both  situated  on  the  west  sice  of 
the  valley  near  the  present  village  of  huron  .  The  Tipton  Irrigation  District 
and  the  Tule  River  Irrigation  District,  situated  near  the  town  of  Tulare,  were 
unable  to  secure  an  adequate  water  supply  because  of  the  opposition  of  riparian 

owners  on  the  Tule  River.  The  i:adera  Irrigation  District  at  Uadera,  met  with 
irvtj  ory  .»... 

opposition  from  liiller  &  Lux  who  owned  riparian  rights  on  the  iresno  River  and 
took  steps  to  restrain  diversions  of  water  by  the  district. 

Thus  is  a  large  majority  of  the  districts  water  was  either  not  available  •' 
at  all  or  only  at  a  prohibitive  cost.  This  shortage  of  water  was  a  most  impor- 
tant factor  in  determining  the  feasibility  of  the  projects  and  was  one  of  the 
main  causes  of  failure  anong  the  districts  .  However  tnere  were  many  districts 


nc..  j  isittoua  II- 

jruelonj  "UTian  1C 

..-•oraea  aoj  T  -is 

ydJ-    ;5sd  mfle-xJa  B  -usbnu  alo 

...  ;^  tonfl 

3£*  i-ud   e.  J'fiaiii  3-JB 

"il   avodfl  ,rjsiaij-a   aitt  lo 
..-;  Iflievaa   yoUx*  eqoiyj^i  nl 

9JJBJp8JOi.ni    10    C  .  3OT     SI 


;XBJ  cfo  tQ  \tlusLllii  uBioeS  JHU:  nii/p«<0u  a,  nl 

.3     fll        .16810^4-.,^     33  =  1 

^uiAro!  ;J-  lo  ai"ox-.  LI  «x  oals  boa 

yl  .  iJ-  "io  bne  ms.  ;  lit 

'   9  i       .  \j  8JBW 

as  laaj-i;^ 

no..  . 

\c 
i;  .    ic    ;;  •  ;    \8lIjiV   Qfit 

. 
flf?i'.  .    •  •  • 

on  :>..-.. 

a   ^ooj 

, 

aew    1  •  +o 

.•X- rt      ItmJD  -V      » C 

.)    a.io  . 

- 


(22) 


which  had  an  abundant  water  supply  available  and  excellent  land,  so  that  we  must 
look  for  still  other  factors  to  account  for  all  the  failures. 


Economic  fact.org . 

A  second  group  of  factors  to  be  considered  in  determining  the 
feasibility  of  an  irrigation  project  are  those  connected  with  the  use  by  man 
of  the  land  and  water  supply  furnished  by  nature,  and  these  we  may  call 
economic  factors.   These  factors,  taken  together,  really  amount  to  the  ques- 
tion as  to  whether  or  not  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  irrigation  will  be 

-  •   ••»\mr>4 
great  enough  to  compensate  for  the  cost  of  securing  them,  and  to  determine  this 

point  the  coet  must  first  be  considered. 

The  coet  of  securing  a  water  supply  and  putting  the  land  under  irri- 
gation varied  greatly  in  the  different  districts .  In  southern  California  £30 
per  acre  was  not  considered  excessive,  while  in  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin 

*'i£i.  Places    JJPOJL 

Valleys  (5  to  (10  per  acre  was  a  very  usual  estimate.  Practically  all  of  the 
districts  which  actually  attempted  to  secure  water  counted  on  spending  an  amount 
intermediate  between  these  two  figures.  The  benefit  from  this  expenditure  was 
to  come  from  an  increased  productiveness  of  the  land  under  irrigation  with  a 
consequent  increase  in  market  value  and  marketability.  Although  theoretically 

'•*  ~  i  '    *  "  &   "   n»  a> 

the  increased  productiveness  is  the  controlling  factor,  in  practice  the  increased 
marketability  and  selling  price  are  in  most  cases  quite  as  important  for  with  a 
change  from  dry  farming  to  irrigated  agriculture  it  becomes  necessary  for  each 
farmer  to  handle  a  smaller  tract  of  land  and  thus  land  is  thrown  on  the  market. 
If  such  land  can  be  readily  sold  at  a  fair  figure,  well  and  good,  but  if  it 
cannot  the  farmer  is  obliged  to  retain  more  land  than  he  can  efficiently  handle 
so  that  the  full  benefits  of  irrigation  are  not  felt  in  such  a  case  . 

The  factor,  then,  which  r.ust  balance  the  cost  of  securing  irrigation 
is  the  increased  demand  for  the  irrigated  land.  This  demand  depends  upon  three 


..  baa 

jooc   oj-  sToJ-oal  leiiwO  IliJg  10":  xool 


,  Lanoo  so   oJ  a-iojojul  lo  qifCia  bnooea  A 

t-  .'3'!tc!  «oi*B^imi  as   lo 

BO  '.irl  xiqqca  Tei'iwr  art*  bojel  8ii^  lo 

-      .       i                           ^IJjsei   .•                          i  ,sioJ3£l  889iiT       .aio^ojsl   oimonooe 

ad  Hi                                                      ad  oJ-  i'on  no  i;.              oJ  3*  noil 

iU                  3a  oJ1  doc   ,cisrlj  gniiuosa   lo  j^oo  ari^  10!  eJ-aaneqmoo  oJ  ii^t'ona 

,  faa  oo  s4  faiil  iaux  d'soo  erii 

-i  lo  d-^oo  srfT 

-  .10'liL              ..;-uoa  al     .  8J-;..  8»i*  «1   YlJ-flSl^  boiiev  n<- 

ni,'                                  -  si  ;-.'.:;,  •:•    .!c..    •: 

,1*1     .  8J/i...iJao  iBL'su  '^sv  snoa  isq  01$  ot  5$ 

im<                                              iuoo  T:             .v'osa   oj  M  xlIsujaK  rioiii^r  aJ  •.  ,  . 

....  .   ow»    daeii^  neawJ'sc 

.      3iiii  i            .:tBl  si-  66aea-jo;u  ive  moil  &tioo  oJ- 

.JJji          vi-  .'  .                                    .i    J«6i 

.ii    ,  to.- 


B 


rteo 


(23) 

closely  related  factors:  (1)  the  demand  for  the  products  of  the  district, 
(2)  the  number  of  people  in  it,    ,  and  (3)  the  number  of  settlers  available. 
In  organizing  the  California  irrigation  districts  it  seems  to  have  been  usually 
assumed  that  the  demand  for  the  products  would  be  always  as  great  as  tne  supply; 
that  the  presence  of  only  a  small  population  was  no  drawback,  and  that  any 
number  of  settlers  vrere  ready,  willing  and  anxious  to  come  in  and  pay  high 
prices  for  land  within  the  districts.  In  inoet  cases  the  first  and  third  of 
these  factors  did  not  have  much  direct  effect  for  the  districts  did  not  get  to 
the  point  where  they  had  either  products  or  improved  land  to  sell.  A  resident 
in  big  Rock  Creek  Irrigation  District,  when  asked  what  crops  were  being  raised 
in  the  district,  replied:  "Well,  we  were  raising  more  hell  than  a..y thing  else. 
He  could  do  that  to  a  finish."  In  those  districts,  however,  there  the  work  was 

; 

completed  and  water  applied  to  the  land,  tnese  factors  did  operate  powerfully. 
Take, for  example,  the  Tulare  Irrigation  District.  An  abundant  water  supply 
was  places  upon  the  lands  of  the  district  but  the  hard  times  of  1693  with  low 
prices  of  farm  products  made  the  returns  of  the  farmers  so  small  that  tr.ey  felt 
obliged  to  default  on  the  payment  of  interest  upon  the  bonds  and  the  district 

- '-   "  f  t  .*.-£;.!    ,  -i-  *.   I  '  -  j    ttV   -3Wlif-   "-   1  ' 

found  itself  in  very  hard  straits.  Land  would  not  sell  and  tne  farmers,  expecting 
to  loee  their  farms,  would  make  no  improvements.  They  finally  overcame  their 
difficulties  by  raising  a  voluntary  assessment  of  (273,000  and  paying  the  bonds 
at  50  cents  on  the  dollar . 

The  number  of  people  in  the  districts  also  proveu  to  be  an  important 
factor  for  during  the  period  of  construction  the  payment  of  current  expenses  and 
of  interest  on  bonds  was  a  very  heavy  burden  and  where  the  number  of  landowners 
was  small  each  had  to  pay  a.  heavy  tax  upon  land  which  was  yielding  little  return. 
A  rather  amusing  instance  snowing  the  difficulty  of  raising  funds  by  assessment 
in  a  district  where  the  land  is  sparsely  settled  ana  of  a  low  market  value,  was 
disclosed  by  an  examination  of  the  letter  file  and  minute  book  of  the  Sunset 


-fljbuiac   3*tf   (I)    is-ioJarl   betelei 
.  o  .  ,4-i  .U    3j[qosq     lo  necf.iujn  sad 

Xllcuau  nead  3v.  ;  Ji  ad-oil;)-  sic  no  is  *%iiti  aJtoiolilsO  s.\i-  ^iusinB^io  al 

;TJ!I  g   i-aaT3  3ju   a^awla   aJ   i,Lj  ;;•..<•  aj-j.-'uc-^!   t*dj    io'l  Jaaeraei;  arti1  J*fi* 

Yf..-  O«JB   ,;.  ...  llsffis  x.  \Ino  lo  aoneaaic  acid-  J-eii? 

:   owe:)  od  sue:  ,  ^bssi  aTraw  neLrj-aa  lo  -isaaujn 

oai-  aeajBo  J-sois  nl     .  ajoiijsia  s*i*  axfid'x.T  fcnal  icl  3eoi^q 

oJ-  i-3^  ion  isio  .      .':  joa^le  fsoiio  dotfti  sv^.i  J-on  jit  aiolo;  "t 

d-nebiaei  /.      .lisa  oJ  onfll  o:»voit.v.a  ic   atoubaif\  leiUia  aan  \»iid   an  ail*  i'aioq 

ae  .-.  5Tew  aqoio  .  neiiw  ,  i-ajLtiajta  ftoi^jsjiiil  iesiG  ^ooH  yjta  ni 

.eala  iisJU;T  eia*  ew  ,IIe>?"     lijailqaT   .Joiii^ib  94J  «i 

asw  ji*xov  vawoii  .aiaii.  .    nl     ".fiainxl  £  oj  iaoJ   ob  faluoo  aW 

.  yllt  .  "ieqo  jib  aiojoi:!  e  .    ocf  bsxlqci  laJBKsr  boa  faadalqmoo 

Orx      .  J  d'i£luT  eiic    ,aiq;c£X9  lol.e^BT 

we  '  il  lo  riufluj  ^  -•  .;   ^«iJ   'to  abrusl  SiiJ  noqw  baoalq  SJBW 

ilal  \  j    'to  amuJari   ati^  abjsun  ajouao-iq  ffiael   lo  aa 

>jq  arid-  ao   tiuf\9'o  o.:  .Cio 

,  anotuij  1    -:.'  .    .       .J-a  Jaifjii  -^iav  sis.  lleaJx  0=.; 

\L  .  .  liiow   ,enrifll  •:.     .  o^ 


saJ-  AC   a    . 
,  •  ^   slqoaq  lo  lalsnun  •••:  . 

•-•   'io  boiiaq   sriJ 
.       •         .  YI^V  «  a**  fJoot. 


;  si  on..  ni 


(24) 


Irrigation  District.  In  preparing  the  assessment  for  the  annual  tax  levy  the 
Assessor  of  the  District  fixed  the  value  of  the  land  for  taxation  purposes  at 
£12  per  acre.  Almost  immediately,  however,  letters  of  complaint  began  to  pour 

in  upon  the  directors,  the  owners  of  the  land  stating  vehemently  that  they 

,i .  tv\  '.-.* 

were  willing  to  sell  the  land  in  question  for  $5  per  acre  and  that  they  felt 
(12  per  acre  to  be  an  unreasonably  high  valuation.  Tne  directors  were  obliged 
to  lower  the  valuation  to  16  per  acre. 

The  fact  that  the  districts  were  undertaking  to  develop  a  comparatively  •' 

new  country  had  a  ^reat  deal  of  influence  upon  the  feasibility  of  the  projects. 

•  \TT151 

The  settlement  and  development  by  irrigation  of  new  land  involves  many  difficulties 
not  known  to  those  unfamiliar  with  such  conditions .  A  great  many  of  those 
active  in  organizing  irrigation  districts  had  come  not  very  long  before  from  the 
East  and  were  entirely  unfamiliar  with  irrigation  practice.  They  were  not 

wealthy  people  and  had  usually  invested  practically  their  whole  capital  in  the 



land  which  they  hoped  to  improve  under  the  irrigation  district.  They  did  not 
expect  to  v.ait  long  for  returns  ana  were  not  in  a  position  to  do  eo,  and  vhen 
they  found  themselves  unable  to  meet  tr.eir  tax  payments  or  to  make  a  fair  living 
on  tneir  land,  they  were  obliged  in  many  cases  to  abandon  their  holdings  and  move 
away.  In  big  Rock  Creek  Irrigation  District  a  colony  of  several  hundred  people 
dwindled  away  until  only  a  few  fandlies  remained,  ironi  the  Ferris  Irrigation 
District  forty  houses  were  aoved  to  Riverside.  And  so  it  was  in  many  districts; 
the  inexperience  of  the  settlers  and  their  lack  of  funcis  brought  about  disastrous 
failure . 

t inane iel  and  Construction  Ope rations . 

Plane  _tp_  secure  anc  distribute  v.ater  supply  . 

In  making  tneir  plane  to  secure  water  xost  of  the  districts  secured 
the  beet  engineering  advise  available .  Civil  engineers  of  high  local  and  even 


.*oii.  -:tl 

.  ewLt-;v  id  eiiJ  To 

ioo  lo  :.  .    ,-iavevu.;   «  .  JaomlA     .  dio 

.aio^oeiii)  eaj  ciotju  ;tx 

ertoa  isq  fi$  n  .up  ni  bosl  ect}-  lies  O 

B  dcf  'o 

ot  aoi/jRoXfiv  3iiJ-  nwoi  et 
^1.  o  e  qolavab  oiJ-  ^aijiB^iabflu  &  -  .  ;io  adJ  ^*rf^  ^oal  »aT 

.3J33'.  •      :'®^  oxif  noqii  Xjseii  iBert^  js.fosrf  Yid'rji/co  wan 

:  savlovr;!  b«sl  *fea  1.0  ctiic'  t  ^  i-ni  \;i  J-JK  aimed  Is  ve&jboa  'ia&tolj^de  eriT 
eao.iJ-  lo  ^tiesn  J28a§  A     .anoiJ-xt.joo  riawe  .-ilimjslou  eaOifir  otf  awoai  J-on 

moi't  enrol  jl  y^sv  J-OM  aaioo  ohn  yiitx  gaisiflaaTo  iti 

j-on    ?TQY  xo*iT     .  eoiJ-o'jBlq-  noit^^lTix  rl  ilinifllnw  \-Ieii^K6 

J  .:-'0   alonw  lierij'  ..    ulLsuzu   j.-'.i  bn>:    :j.  ••o 


.a  ,03  oo  oJ  noxJxgoq  ;  'ji  IxJS'.1?  o, 

•  BUS  difr  *io  a^noK^Bc  x  ;^  B^vIe^KieuJ-   oiit/ol   ^arfi1 

•ixodJ   nobn«  i£  o>}-  BSSBO  stew  ijedi   ,000!  ilad^  00 

&Ii"  • 

nox                                 .1^-  taoTl     .  Ii?Hi;  x«*»  z»*X6«iwb 
;5J                    .                        ^x  oe  .gfth     .  aoxoiavx.'-i  oj 

;  tx   s:^ 


. 

.:,;• 


(25) 


national  re?uta^ion  were  engaged  to  report  on  the  feasibility  of  securing  water 
e.upply  and  as  to  the  beet  methods  to  be  used.  It  cannot  therefore  be  said,  as 
a  general  thing,  that  the  districts  did  not  secure  proper  advice  as  to  the 
technical  features  of  their  projects,  but  the  unsettled  problems  connected  with 
irrigation  development  in  the  West  were  then  very  numerous  and  the  engineers 
themselves  had  not  a  really  adequate  knowledge  of  the  requirements  for  successful 
irrigation  development.  Probably  the  greatest  weakness  of  the  engineers  was 
the  excessive  optimism  manifested  in  their  reports.  There  had  been  but  few 
rainfall  and  stream  flow  records  kept  in  the  early  days  and  the  available  water 
supply  was  more  a  matter  of  estimate  than  of  knowledge,  and  perhaps  quite  as 
much  a  matter  of  guess  as  of  either.  It  was  in  the  over-estimates  of  available 
water  supply  that  the  optimistic  engineers  made  many  mistakes  v.hich  alone  would 
have  caused  the  failure  of  many  districts .  Nor  were  the  engineers  greatly  to 
blame  for  such  mistakes.  They  were  called  upon  to  make  estimates  of  streamflow 
for  which  few  records  were  available.  It  therefore  became  necessary  for  them 
to  compute  the  run  off  from  estimates  of  the  watershed  area  and  the  rainfall,  or 
from  the  volume  of  water  then  flowing  in  the  streams.  How  it  so  happened  that 
for  several  years  prior  to  the  passage  of  the  Wright  Act  and  to  the  organization 
of  the  districts ,  there  had  been  unusually  heavy  rainfall  throughout  California 
and  it  was  therefore  upon  these  years  of  plenty  that  the  engineers,  in  many 
cases,  based  their  estimates;  at  any  rate  the  estimates  were  so  mace  that  the 
rainfall  of  succeeding  years  was  not  great  enough  to  keep  the  stream  flow  up  to 
the  estimates.  1,'or  were  the  engineers  the  only  ones  misled  by  the  inequalities 
in  rainfall, lor  a  large  proportion  of  the  people  in  the  communities  inierested 
in  irrigation  had  been  only  a  comparatively  short  time  in  the  state  and  not  being 
fai::iliar  with  climatic  conditions,  ti. ought  that  the  abundant  rainfall  of  the 
later  'eighties  was  the  usual  thing.  In  this  belief  many  irrigation  aietricts 


^J  .  -0  ^jj.  .....  at  oJ-  b  is  stew 

:i     .  .  j  of  s&orfissi  Jaacf  ettf  o^  SB  bos 

:  jsiils  Ji>  sitr  j'.Eiij'   ,30^1^  l£i^n*^  .B 

jctti'!/  •  .  .  LOIP  ixad^  "to  381.1/J'ae'i 

3Ttj     .  .i?  auoiyrtws  ^av      .....  •  '^*  sn> 

;  .  .'pafai;   TjilBei  a  ton 

aa--,-  j   jiij-  lo  ;  ,.v  d-as;*.  [     .  inefl^qol 

.  ..itfl  jaaxnu^qo   avi.-saeoxa 

XllfiS    S:i*    «i  ^091    WO  II 

lo  oea.    .        ij-86  to  i9J-t*m  £   sioci 
-lave  :       ••.  tJie  lo  SB  asei/a  lo  tadJ'Baa  &  risum 

'-;teiJ- 

02  lo 

wol'tcu.  3ts*  ^6iiT     .  eiiiB-'siin  riot'a  tol  aausltf 

'•8s*'J   "  .iJ1  JI     .  sis*  sbToosi  wal  tioixiw  idt 

'io   ,  XL-  .  ot'i  llo  fUJi  saJ-   e^uqmoo  aj1 

:j  ti  «oi;  J-BW  lo  emwlov  erf^  moil 

at  nolle  OTJBOX  Ijsrteva?.  riol 
CIslniBT   yv/<:  :   bed  aisitJ-  4'»#3Jrt*sjl>"  erij-  lo 

oj" 

•faelsi,!:  aeno  vL-jo  0j 

..  •  - 

•    • 


(26) 


were  organized  to  cover  territory  for  which  the  stream  flow  in  dry  years  later 

•  ..r  -.  .:.-:  •'..  j  ;'i,;.  ft  turret-   f  "*«r 

proved  to  be  practically  nil.  Several  districts  in  Antelope  Valley,  LOB  Angeles 
County,  are  examples  of  this  sort  of  optimism,  although  not, in  this  case, on  the 
part  of  engineers. 

The  valley  is  a  broad  plain  which  has  in  many  parts  excellent  soil . 

During  the  years  of  heavy  rainfall  the  streams  entering  the  valley  from  the 

COM  T^ewtr  •.;!  uer.    ..<:.   -.'••'.•    a!  .       "...c,    ..ajiC  *itnl!h   tr.e   .-. ; 

surrounding  mountains  furnished  an  abundant  water  supply,  but  when  a  few  years 
later  the  rainfall  decreased,   the   streams  became  in  the  summer  mere  beds   of 

gravel  and  boulders.     Six  irrigation  districts;   namely,  Neenach,  Kanzana, 

,-'... :--v;.  „.  •..  X;-.e  *•:>!  ?i*JO  01 

Amargoza,  Palmdale ,  Little  Rock,  and  Big  Rock  Creek,  were  organized  in  the 
valley.  Strong  internal  opposition  prevented  the  Palmdale  district  from  doing 
anything;  the  others  failed  for  lack  of  water,  although  the  Little  Rock  Irri- 
gation District  has  since  been  rehabilitated  and  is  irrigating  about  eight 
hundred  acres  from  Little  Rock  Creek. 

In  many  other  sections,  also,  districts  were  formed  where  it  was 

later  found  that  the  water  supply  was  entirely  inadequate.  To  errors  in 

,-' ,     f.  e  one  iv 

over-estimating  the  available  water  supply  may  therefore  be  attributed  the 
failure  of  many  of  the  districts . 


By  no  means  the  least  interesting  feature  of   the  districts'   operations 

_a  ;or  -;r.e  cor* 

were  the  extensive  and  elaborate  systems  planned.  In  southern  California,  for 
example,  the  Ferris  and  Allessandro  districts  were  piped  to  the  highest  corner 
of  each  ten  acre  tract.  In  the  Sacramento  Valley  the  Central  Irrigation  District 
planned  to  irrigate  a  tract  38  miles  long  and  containing  an  area  of  245  equare 
miles.  Tnie  was  a  territory  nearly  one-fourth  as  large  as  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island.  There  were,  in  this  case,  40  owners  holding  over  half  of  the  land  in 
the  immense  district,  while  there  were  in  <ill  only  180  landowners  in  it. 

In  the  San  Jo  *quin  Valley  the  Llodesto  and  Turlock  districts  joined 
in  the  construction  of  the  famous  La  Grange  dam,  built  at  a  cost  of  ^550,000, 


TO  i   \iQfs.ii*f  itivco  of  i 
Lb*x«va3     .  Lin  \Llaaj.J9Bi$  9Ci 

:o  *103   aiiW   to  aeiov-isx  ,  V- 

'to 


.  i  ifioid  A  ai 

Irsx/n  yvKQd  to 

•..'   , 

xid     .  at»e.[irocf  boa 
,«  ,.iooH 
;q 

,  i&J^SW     - 

.  need  eaais 

.  A36TJ    iOOH    al^i'ij   :30ll    88103 
,-0»a    T9iitO    ^HfiE    Ol 

.3  isJ-jd* 
Yc:iT  \-  lisv* 

'U  ^OEIT:  lo 


.  -.j.ij  gneai.  on  \3 

.03  nl  .  :.;.  »vian{trxd  e4l 

Slav  ;::  ;3i1-js'i  saj  ,?i 

..J  yell  j  'io 

.-Iq 


: 


(27) 


and  from  this  dan  each  district  carries  water  in  a  canal  a  distance  of  over 
20  miles  to  the  lands  of  the  districts. 


Long  Issues . 

The  extensive  and  elaborate  works  planned  by  the  districts  necessitated 

•  ;     ,  <•    •}!•..  :.  . 

bond  issues   often  in  excess  of  the  market  value  of  the  land  within  the  district. 

I- or  instance,  the  Linda  Vista  Irrigation  District  in  San  Diego  County,  voted 

bonds  in  the  sum  of  fl,CGG,GOO  to  be  secured  by  property  worth  perhaps  » 600, GOO. 

work  *  i*  so  '.'I,:.      "-.:•;  ir.  •>!•--   the  c/.fl.riCv*  MI  to  r*  fuatiat  yr»iY*r*.-i-  ,       n*  r*" 
The  Sunset  Irrigation  District,   on  the  west  side  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley, 

voted  bonds  in  the  sum  of  £2,000,000,  while  the  property  within  the  district 

.*Tr.c  .,  of  th*  iorcr  * -,  -io\  cavtr  uv   to  *n*  E*rfc.     I  t  i 

was  probably  not  worth  over  a  fourth  of   that  sum.     Although  the  proportion  of 

bond  issue  to  land  value  was  hot  in  all  cases  so  great  as  with  these  districts, 

the  aaount  of  bonds  voted  was  usually  a  very  generous  one  so   that  as  a  rule 

"jUic*  'o  g»l  fKf'^fy  r  .v  ;-.  \  -u.r 

the  land  sold  at  a  forced  sale  would  not  suffice  to  pay  the  bonded  indebtedness. 

If,  however,  the  bonds  could  have  been  sold  at  par  and  the  money 

B 

expended  in  improvements,  the  increased  value  of  the  land  thus  caused  would 
probably  in  most  cases  have  furnished  good  protection  to  the  bondholders,  but 
here  comes  in  what  is  perhaps  the  most  striking  feature  of  the  districts'  opera- 

*    ,   .±  •  .~*  ™ 

tions;  namely,  the  insufficiency  of  the  return  received  for  the  bonds  issued. 

The  original  law  provided  that  the  bonds  could  not  be  sold  for  less 

-.  _.fc  ;^»r.  v..-:.  >-  ;ver  :• 
than  90  cents  on  the  dollar  (it  now  requires  that  tr.ey  be  sold  for  at  least  par) 

and  if  the  bonds  could  have  been  sold  for  cash  at  that  rate  the  tasks  of  the 
districts  would  have  been  much  easier,  but  such  was  not  the  case.  Some  of  the 
early  districts  organized  prior  to  1890  did  succeed  in  selling  their  bonds  for 

cash  but  the  majority  of  the  districts  were  not  able  to  do  so.  In  the  districts 

not 
where  a  cash  sale  of  bonds  in  the  manner  required  by  law  coald  be  made,  the 

promoters  developed  a  surprising  capacity  for  dealings  in  "nigh  finance"  and  all 


Jtb  rioia  r.tf 
v  oib  efil   to  sbocl 


.Tj   moil  btte 
oJ"  welJLr  OS 


io  .  . 

,3; 


,. 

..J-   lo  euLsv  J-eX-uam  sitf   10  aaeoxe  nj  nejto  BecseJ: 
j-ov  ,  1  J-oiiJ-eia  itoiie&iiil  ^aiV  tcnij  9ii*   ,8on^e«i 

Lsito^e   sd  oJ1  000,00,,  1$  ^o  HIUU  sriiS'  fii 
,v,  :o  sbis  4"83w  eitt  no   t^oir£ieia  noi^.ylTiI  Jean 

6.U-  eliriw  ,000.000,23  lo  ax-o   erij-  ni  a&ftod  be^ov 

teitt   lo  ^ij•^lo'i  «  rtevo  dfiov:  ton  xlo'i-uoi 
:;e  8&ai'C  IIt<  ni  j-oa  afr  »wl^v  on*J  ow    ousel 

\fisv  JB  x^^'J'EJLf  s^*  beirov  abnod  lo  ^«uorsB 

.  ae  .j   erii'  \aq  o*  eaillus  J~oa  o^wow  sl<*8  bestol  /;  ^js  bice  bnssl. 

6vsd  fcJwoo  abncJ  sri^   .levasreii  ,11 

ii  Biiy   jeJrxeffevoiqmi  ni  bebnecxs 

J^,  ,  o^r  o.:.  'UJl  svsri  89BJ50  ^«(wr.  iti  ijl 

-.  .          '  i  gnixi'ija  j  aom  ftiij'  aqariTeq  ai  g^rf?1/  ni  aeaioo 

.•evieosi  «*tti^»*s  xaneiailluKnl   erlj  '  ,  \Iair£n   janoil 

ibiicd  •.  zbivcic  we  I  Isrtiaiio  eriT 

..:Ilcc  eftr  no   arnes  0?  rterij 
iol  bics  need  svj&ii  bli/oo   sbnod  adi'  li 


ijio 

•isw  a*'.'  eilt  'ie   %v  j   ^i;d  rieso 

:   lo  e  >-s  JB   eneriw 

oleveb 


(28) 


sorts  of  subterfuges  were  resorted  to  to  dispose  of  the  bonds.  The  act  did 
not  permit  the  exchange  of  the  bonds  for  work  but  in  order  to  get  the  work  done 
contractors  were  persuaded  to  bid  on  the  work  and  have  a  dummy  bid  for  the 
bonds,  which  were  afterwards  turned  over  to  the  contractor.  Heedless  to  say, 
the  amount  of  the  bid  put  in  by  the  contractor  in  such  a  case  was  far  in  excess 
of  the  cash  price  of  similar  work. 

A  transaction  of  the  Ferris  Irrigation  District  furnishes  a  striKing 
illustration  of  the  methods  employed,  and  the  practice  of  exchanging  bonds  for 
work  was  so  widespread  among  the  districts  as  to  be  almost  universal.  One  of 
the  former  directors  told  of  tne  transaction  in  the  following;  words: 

"Tne  advertising  of  the  bonds  was  not  quite  up  to  the  mark.  I  thought  it 
was  pretty  bad  management  from  the  time  I  got  acquainted  with  it.  The  directors 
had  their  (4  per  day  and  there  was  so  much  fuss  and  trouble  that  they  had  to  set 
a  good  many  days.  They  were  paying  the  secretary  a  good  salary  with  little 
duties.  I  think  Mr.  Nance  was  in  too  much  of  a  hurry.  The  bonds  were  not  to 
be  sold  for  less  than  ninety  cents  on  the  dollar  and  must  be  sold  for  cash.  LLr. 
Nance  was  trying  in  New  York  to  get  money  and  at  the  same  time  he  sold  bonds  here 
for  money  to  furnish  pipe,  at  90  cents.  The  others  who  were  after  bonds  thought 
if  tne  bonds  were  to  be  sold  for  90  cents  at  the  start  they  would  not  be  a  good 
investment.  T^is  put  the  bonds  right  down  at  the  start.  When  I  was  on  the  board 
(1892-1893)  they  wanted  to  put  these  cross  pipes  in  and  we  could  not  sell  bonds 
for  anything.  Cur  lawyer  fixed  it  so  that  we  contracted  with  the  pipe  company 
for  the  pipe  delivered  under  the  ground  so  that  it  would  be  classed  as  real 
estate.  I  don't  suppose  that  was  straight  according  to  the  \Vright  Act." 
:t  is  .iraU'sj;  tii«  v&  *'..'•: -at  fau.led  dins* -rcutly  evsryvhar* 

The  Tipton  Irrigation  District,  near  Tulare,  furnishes  another  good 

illustration  of  the  plan  pursued. 

"The  bonds  were  taken  up  by  the  contractors  at  90  cents  on  the  dollar  the  •" 
sane  as  though  they  had  been  sold  for  cash  and  the  cash  turned  over  to  the  con- 
tractors. This  was  in  strict  violation  of  the  law  and  a  subterfuge  was  used  in 
making  it  to  appear  that  a  certain  person  had  bought  the  bonds  for  cash,  the 
records  so  showed,  a  bidder  was  procured  who  bid  the  amount  at  90  cents,  a 
check  was  drawn  by  him  for  the  amount  and  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  bond  fund 
ar.d  on  the  same  day  and  at  the  same  time  an  order  was  delivered  to  tnis  purchaser 
for  trie  bonds  and  the  nan  who  had  the  contracting  got  his  warrant  for  the  same 
amount  together  with  an  assigmient  of  this  order  for  the  bonds."  (From  an  inter- 
view with  an  attorney  of  Tulare.) 


.  aiuto  -;  til-    io   L  CJ"  oj  bajioasi  ersow  ae^u'iiatcfue  lo  eJ 

encb  i-iow  eiiJ  *»&  oj  Tajjio  at  ixcf  ihtow  10  i  sunocf  orij   lo  ea/Ofifloxe  siii   J-i^ieq  Jon 

witf  tol  Did  xra^b  JB  evjsjti  OHB  3f"iow  etW  no  bid  oj  befoutneq  &t»w  eio«  ot 
,  \pz  c$  8B6l2v>6»t     .  •JoJc.t'iJ'noo  edtf  cJ  nevo  bem^J-   aoi£vria*li;  etew 
ni  rt*l  ajBw  ug£0  jn  rioue  ni  ic^o/BTUnoa  eriJ-  vJ  «i  tuq  bitf  wiJ   lo 

.  jiic-;'  "U'limie   to  aoi'iq  rie»eo  &u-    tc 
yfi.  JB  aeoexnru;!  J  o-ti.re.ca  noi**ajtiil  eirjie^  6iii-    lo  ocid-o-.-srunl  A 

.waoxe  'to  eoi^o^iq  6*1^  b«f-  ,b€\clqt:e  afaoixfam  e»u    to 

lo   jaO     .Lsai6Vini   jBomlxs  fed  o^   a£  BJaiiJ-sii)  eftf  anci-u-.   bxeiqtse^x*  OB  e/w  Ji 

sii*  ni  noitMBnaif  aa^   lo  felci-  Eio^oenia  -xacnol 


arij   oi"  cu  eJ.ti.-p  3-oo  8i»  aoaod  odj-   io 
.                        ..-                        /«upoj»  i-og  I  smiJ-  Si-W  crctt  ^nac:es»'nBm  bud 

j-68    Ow                                         .  38fe'l    fiOlJffi    C8    8^W    flTe.!^ 

elJ-il  rtfr."  '(ifl^:-  .Bjs-:ooe  0.1^  sni\»q  f: 

o_*                                  «iiT     .  -    Ic  rfoisfl:  ooi'  oJt  &K*  aonell  .  'ut  Jtnirid'  I     .eeiii/i 

.t'..     ..       •:•  ic'i  ^lo-i   sd  Jaun  iit/:  teJIofa  s*ij  no  sJtfso  \^anin  ri£ffif   sssi  10!  bice   ecf 

eiori  nbnoi  bios  ori  emiJ  er.uBe  siij-  '£  bii«  \j6ii3m  j-e^  c^  aioY  weh  fi  ^tu^j  SJBW 

QIQW  oriw  8'iexito  siil1     .aJ-nea  0€  *£  «acric  aeimtil  oj-  ^wt 

booy  £  ed  ton  biiiow  xaxiJ  d-i«ja  eiiJ   J*  s^neo  0€  10!  bloe  etf  oJ-  enew  ebnod  eii^  li 

tosco   s..  3-f  nwob  J'itai'4  sbnocf  etij   ^uc  einT     .^ntsffi^coviii 

ai»A                               ^0  e//  Lite  fti  aeniq  asoic  eaeii.*-  jwq  oi  beJfiB*  x81'^    (6€6I-S681) 

.  .'  tsttr               bsxil  teyef'I.  ii«0     .aaiii^^iB  iol 

Is-                         •  ..j   CB  bm-'Oij  srur  Tsbcu  bs'ievllefc  eqjfcq  A<15   10! 

".j  *  J-jerij  oeo&qjL'a  J'ficfa  I     .eta^ae 


bt  H  BsriBxmt'i   ,  steliT  ififif.  .^airt^aiC  ficxj-£-dxTiI  notqiT  ariT 


aio^o.  ari}"   \'J  cf  ne:l6w    OTST  ebncd  silT" 

-rtc  -    aejBO  eruj-  on*  rieBO  10  1  blcs  ae«d  b£Xi  \$si$  ri%uQtis  a*  er.i£8 

wtl  erfcf  lo  rroij-  -.Jo  ax  e/sr  axriT     .  e-icd-o^ij- 

d    ;.;;  ..  iiijiao  £   fBfii    *i£sqc&    CJ-  JX   ^nxxiT, 

^q  e«w  tebfcicf  je  .iewria  oe  eftnoooi 

bin.  .  .  iU  o*  baa.  K  Qiit  lol  rairi  xtf  nwsib  6«w  ioerio 

.0    nJ    t-.    .  -*•*    bfLC    YFS    SfflBB    6f&    tTO    fcftB 

•   b£ii  c  SiiJ-  bn*  a  &  10  1 

".fjuno  'it^Lio  UJJB  ri£  d^i»/  i 

lo  \»ctiQJi£  OB  rU-iv  weiv 


(29) 


Returns   for  isone_Y_  expended. 

With  the  difficulties  in  the  sale  of  tends  the  tasks  of  tne  districts 

*J-W» 

were  made  very  difficult  of  performance  and  it  was  made  very  hard  for  them  to 
get  a  fair  return  for  the  bonds  issued,  but  this  was  not  the  only  factor  causing 
unduly  large  expenditures.  The  lack  of  business  ability  among  the  officers  of 
the  districts  led  in  numerous  instances  to  extremely  careless  expenditure  of 

• 

money  or  bonds  so  that  the  districts  did  not  get  a  fair  return.  The  directors 
did  not  hesitate  to  exchange  large  sums  in  bonds  for  land  or  water  rights  and 
they  were  as  a  rule  quite  generous  in  allowing  themselves  salaries.  Bonds  were 
issued  by  the  quire  and  at  such  ruinously  low  rates  that  the  districts  were 
heavily  handicapped.  For  example  in  the  Ferris  district  the  bonds  exchanged 
for  work  are  said  to  have  brought  a  return  equivalent  to  between  25  and  50  cents 
on  the  dollar. 


Such  methods  of  financing  sufficed  to  load  a  large  number  of  the 
districts  with  heavy  bonded  indebtedness  far  in  excess  of  their  ability  to  pay 
and  without  furnishing  them  with  completed  irrigation  systems.  Thus  they  had 
all  the  burdens  contemplated  under  the  Act  and  none  of  the  benefits,  and  the 
result  is  not  hard  to  surmise;  the  districts  failed  disastrously  everywhere  and 

but  few  weathered  the  storm. 

ar-d  did  :?-?'„  in-st  to  irri^t*  .    Tfci*  ei&rt  s*r*d  *..<„•«*  one-fifth  ef  u:e  Iv-xi 

Obstacles  and  hindrances  Encountered . 

The  difficulties  hinted  at  above  might  well  have  served  to  defeat  the 
objects  of  the  distrists  even  if  no  opposition  had  been  encountered,  but  opposition 
of  the  sost  bitter  kind  wasmet  with  from  the  first.  The  filler  A  Lux  and  other  — 
interests  attacked  the  district  movement  ae  a  whole  and  did  everything  in  their 
power  to  discredit  the  districts.  3eo  .  H.  Llaxwell  went  throughout  the  state  and 
attempted  to  prevent  the  organization  of  districts  and  aided  in  litigation  against 
the  districts.  Every  obstacle  possible  was  placed  in  the  way  of  the  districts 


. 

. 
to  •        LJ-ifcneqxfc.  ejjisl 

vu  ai  osl  -ia  &d$ 

.j  saf  ^.d*  os  abnod  TO  Xi- 
aUiiioxo  oJ-  eJ-  ion  bib 

jj-i  .  -       S^S.i,i'    Olwi   £    8J^:    6-X&V 

:  - 

.;     10  \         .  J 

.     01£    /i'. 

' 

yw9tt  riv 

.     .  .         .  .  n:xf 

- 

t    ;eeirmi.'3   ocr  b^jssa  jofl  si  *i;. 


. 

. 

>»oc 


(30) 


success  by  these  interests. 

Within  the  various  districts  there  was  also  strong  opposition  .  In 
many  cases  ,  it  is  true,  the  opposition  did  not  arise  until  some  mistake  or 

'  a  **J-'  ~*  -  f  -•*  *  1  \*       f 0  *  t 

delay  on  the  part  of  tue  district  officers  aroused  dissatisfaction  with  the 

methods  employed,  but  in  few  cases  was  there  an  entire  absence  of  opposition. 

vary    ••  .a*   in  \~3&\t  «ri  oslv    t»i?    *.al;-jr.t  :-.ui   oe   </-••'&  a  i«v"9  . 

The  Ferris  Irrigation  District  presents  the  most  striking  illustration  of  the 

extremes  to  which  the  opposition  went,  for  in  that  district  the  citizens  became 


divided  into  two  extremely  hostile  factions .     The  opponents  of  the  district 

.':*  l^slity  of   toe  <ii*trir*f  wa*  attacked  in  «••  -wry*;   (!':    tfae    •  u* 
organized  a  quasi-military  company  and  took  the  name  "Knights  of  Labor"  while 

the  friends  of  the  district  organized  as  the  "Patterson  Guards".     Both  parties 
armed  themselves  and  bloodshed  was  imminent.     On  one  occasion  three  of  the 
opponents  of   the  district  were  burned  in  effigy.     The  opponents  engaged  an 
attorney  to  fight  the  confirmation  of  the  bonds  but  the  friends  of  the  district 
bought  him  off  and  also,  it  is  claimed,  unduly  influenced  the  judge.     Later  the 
opponents  proposed  to  cause  the  arrest  of  the  directors  for  some  technical 
violation  of  the  Act,  but  the  friends  of  the  district  forestalled  them  by 

bringing  the  alleged  offenders  before  a  friendly  Justice  of  the  Peace  who 

,'7ilJ  :r.    ,   IrvJL^vicji  District  t.  Brsdiwy »  164  3.  3.  174  •• 

promptly  acquitted  them. 

Th4  Qtta  ijj   vipo»*  tn*  dii'trisie  uoor.  ti;e  KTOU&     'mt   twy  h«a   not 
In  the  Modesto  district  many  were  satisfied  with  the   old  grain  farming 

and  did  not  want  to  irrigate .         This  class  owned  about  one-fifth  of  the  land 
in  the  district  and  organized  defense  associations.     They  attacked  the  legality 

of  the  district  organization  and  refused  to  pay  taxes.     "In  1637  the  opposition 

•e--."  -c 

elected  a  majority  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  district  and  for  four  years 

blocked  all  assessments  for  interest  due  on  the  bonded  indebtedness  already 
incurred ." 


Note  .  1.     Adams:     Distribution  and  Use  of  Viater  in  l.'odesto  and  lurlock 
Irrigation  Districts,  California,     p.  97. 


•icJrrx  eaeiit  \d  eeecoue 

.     ;TL'J.  -I*    M  Bi-Oi'V^eiii    EJL'CX'UBV    Sitf    OtKCH1*? 

10   9jij$jsjL»"   area  iiJ-jii;   t/e*  .'    ,  wrw   ei  *x   ,    eesjsa  \. 

Jxw  noxJawl8XJ.Ba8Xi<          •    M   stsaxlio  Joirtj  .,?   io  J"iflQ  6»iJ  no  \t 

laoai  eaJ 
efE.  .  .lileib  i'iiiij  nx  io'l   ^nsw  uoiliaoqqo  buJ1  doxriw  o« 

-T     .  BI:  .:Jeoii  \Xa-aen-xe  OWJ  oJnj  Isfcxvlfc 

i"  3taea  edi   ipoJ'  i)f.  GO 

D8*xnjB^io  JoiiJexfc  adj  lo  abnoxil 

1*000  .jftenimmi  aew  beiiefaoolcf  brt£  aevIsemfcM* 

ite  e,rnonoi  .  :aw  loxiJ'aii)  arid'   lo  c^nenocqo 

iex~l  suJ-  Jus^  etonca   srii  lo  noxJiKiilnoo  sd*  ^rijiil  oi' 

boonai  _.  i  ex   ,  oolfc  brw  llo  miri 

a  10!  j-  eeo£»  o^  baeoqoiq  eJno«cqqo 

»•  belXj-Jeertol  JL  .    lo  e:  jrrf  Jt-j    ,Ja4   eri^  lo 

o;iw  eojBe4!  8iiJ  io  eoxJ-euL  xlonui-  io  faegell*  eri^ 

.mead   bej^xupojs  Y-- 
^nxr  bio  e.lj1  jtMv/  aexlax.'j-;s  «j'iew  Y0*1^  jox-uexfa  ciseboK  aiU1  «I 


ii't-ono  Jjjodjs  bertwo  se«lo  &^  .  •^je^iTii  oJ  J;w  ton-  bib  bn* 


.     .  nnox^^iooBB*-   tu:  -n«gTo  brut  J:  •   ax 

SflJ    10 

1 

-•    II*  i 


. 


(31) 


*<i-  -va  U..Y«  no  ptJLndJUi.i  .r<  •..<»*..?$.  cuvi  ;;r;  july  \*  ,  . 

Quite  naturally  the  principal  weapon  of  the  opponents  of  the  districts  r 

was  litigation,  for  as  a  rule  those  who  opposed  the  districts  were  the  large 

landowners  who  felt  aggrieved  that  their  land  should  be  taken  into  a  district 

>!  to*  aoad  ittua*  %«.*  «  ..  v  «  .  Tb» 

without  their  consent.  To  trace  the  course  of  this  litigation  would  require  a 

very  extensive  treatise  in  itself  and  only  the  salient  points  can  be  given  here . 

•  JLF99  , 

The  litigation  was,  in  general,  directed  against  the  legality  of  the  districts' 
organization  and  the  validity  of  the  bond  issues . 

The  legality  of  the  districts  was  attacked  in  two  ways:   (1)  the  law     * 
«xc.-;a-f.8t  for  ooreiaersctem  r#i  mthcr.itd  ty  4fe»  A*i.     Thi«  \^\  no'.ru 
was   attacked  as  unconstitutional,   and  (2)   the  individual  districts  were  claimed 

to  have  failed  to  follow  the  law  as  enacted. 

The  constitutionality  of  the  Act  was  upheld  by  the  state  courts  at  all 
"' '      •  :~   i.4*tr&tffc  tbc   c  •:    -..-.'  ;  re 

times  but  on  July  22,  1895,  Judge  Ross  of  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  held  the  law 

to  be  unconstitutional  on  the  ground  that  landowners  were  deprived  of  their 

• 'p"  n.'iich   in  rau'i-.  t.Knu-i  9^.'   \nt>   r...-;  -    *»      ay    « 

property  without  due  process  of  law.     This  decision,  of  course,  stopped  all 

activity  in  such  districts  as  had  survived  the  panic  of  1893  until  the  Supreme 

•"•  i  iiF£y  't'.r>---  V. 

Court  of  the  United  States  decided  November  16,  1896,  that  the  Act  was  constitutional 
(Fallbrook  Irrigation  District  v.  Bradley,  164  U.  S.  174). 

The  attacks  upon  the  districts  upon  the  ground  that  they  had  not 
complied  with  the  law  in  the  details  of  organization  were  often  successful  and 

in  some  cases  districts  which  had  been  active  for  several  years  were  declared  to 

r~ 
have  never  teen  legally  organized  and  therefore  never  legally  existent.  Such, 

was  the  decision  in  the  case  of  the  San  Jacinto  and  Pleasant  Valley  Irrigation 
District.  T:.is  district  was  organized  in  1891,  disposed  of  $225,250  in  bonds, 
constructed  irrigation  works,  delivered  water  for  two  or  three  years,  but  in 
1899  a  suit  was  brought  to  have  the  district  declared  illegally  organized.  The 
directors,  thinking  that  tne  bondholders  would  be  obliged  to  defend  the  suit, 
failed  to  make  any  defense  .  Tne  bondholders  nad  not  been  raaae  parties  to  the 


1  ato.  .    'io  BJ.  ..J  Io  ooq^s*  Icqioniiq  e 

,o 


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j  oT     .^neaneo  lieiti 


a± 


evian&lxe 


eriT 


ewiT 


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£  .LI  en* 

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*s-  -o   x*-^--1  it> 

.eevr;  .:  arij1 

w^  's 

aiew  aJ-oii.  , 

.b&J-ofin&  ae  w#I  otU  wollcl  c*  beliel   awui 
-  ..  -J  e*w  . 

io   eao.          i  •„   ,59 

,ovj.'.    .  ,  ,  .     -;j  ejiia    no 

J-s  «er.-  .          to  peeooiq 

Ii+nt/  eeSl  'io   oi.i.          :      avinua  bjsri  e^ 
as*  j-o^   oaJ-.  *J8fiJ-   ,6581  ,  dl  led  .ioea 

.(*TI  .2  .U  frdl   ,xsIx»*iK  .v  J 
baii  xQ^  i'frii'  '      9iit  nt.  .     aiij-  no 

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(32) 


suit  and  therefore  were  held  to  have  no  standing  in  court  and  on  July  11,  1899, 
Judge  Hoyes  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Riverside  County  decided  that  the  district 
had  never  had  a  legal  existence  . 

The  validity  of  the  bond  issues  was  attacked  in  various  ways.  The 
attacks  on  the  constitutionality  of  the  Act  and  on  the  regularity  of  the 
districts'  organization  were,  of  course,  attacks  on  the  bonds  at  the  same  time. 

• 

In  addition  there  were  suits  charging  that  the  proceedings  in  connection  with 
the  bond  issues  were  irregular  and,  most  common  of  all,  that  the  bonds  were 
exchanged  for  considerations  not  authorized  by  the  Act.  This  last  point  was 
a  very  weak  spot  in  the  districts'  armor  and  many  bonds  were  declared  invalid 
because  of  having  been  exchanged  for  an  insufficient  consideration.  In  the  case 

of  the  Allessandro  Irrigation  District  the  bonds  (£765,000  in  amount)  were  given 
for  th«  .       f  of  l-cnc;  _r.  p\ 
to  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  in  exchange  for  "Claes  B  Acre  Water  Right 

Certificates"  which  in  reality  represented  only  the  right  to  buy  water.  It  was 
held  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  California  in  Stimson  v.  Allessandro  Irrigation 
District  (135  Gal.  389)  that  the  bonds  were  absolutely  void  because  delivered 
for  a  consideration  not  permitted  by  the  terms  of  the  Wright  law  and  because  the 
district  never  received  more  than  one-ninth  of  the  water  contracted  for. 

Of  the  C130,GOO  of  bonds  issued  by  the  Grapeland  Irrigation  District 
only  one  bond  of  $100  was  sold  for  cash,  £.28,000  were  exchanged  for  water  rights, 
and  the  remaining  bonds  (approximately  $102,000)  were  exchanged  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  tunnel,  for  labor  and  material,  and  even  for  groceries  to  be  used  by 
those  employed  on  construction  work .  Cn  January  23,  1899,  in  a  suit  brought  in 
the  Superior  Court  of  San  Bernardino  County ,  Judge  Lucien  Shaw  held  the  bonds 
to  be  invalid  because  of  their  having  been  issued  for  work  and  other  considerations 
not  permissible  under  the  law. 

That  bonds  might  be  exchanged  for  construction  work  in  some  cases  and 
be  valid  was  snown  by  tne  decision  in  the  case  of  N.  W.  Stowell  v.  H^to  Irri- 


,11  \lu\,  ao  fane  iiuoo  ni  8  oo  avrri  oj  bled  e*iow  sToleieri.*  boa 

jo.,  attf  ted*  jbeaioeb  \?nuo3  e.  x.K  lo  iiiioO  loiioquS  aaj   lo  se^o.i 


ai/oiijBV  ni  baio*tfJ-£   aew  eouacj.  b«od  out  to  \tfibilfcv 
.   x^xifiljj^sT  Qiil  no  tons  J-aA   a.'ti'    AO   \5iLaaclf  isfj.3  anoo  arfl  ao 
amae  eaj-  Jjts  aJwiod  end-  no   aiofijj1*  .eatuoa    to    ,eiaw  noljjcsJtrus^TO   'e 

• 

09  fix  3cnibo80oTc:  aiiJ'  J'jsit;   sni^itiio   a^iue   dtaw  eieiij  noi^xbb£  ni 
.cd  8ii*  JariJ   ,IlJ5  Ic  nommos  d'aotr  .bflJB  iBltrgeiix   QTSW  ssuseJt  bnod 
UJBW  *nioq  ^SJE!  sxriT     .  J'oA   eaJ    \d  besiioiij-ufi  ^on  snoJtJBiabianos  no'i 
bxlfivnx  betfiloeb  en&w  abncd  \nsci  bree  IOSJIB   'ai'oiTcJ'aib  arU  nx  loqa  ^JEOW  \iev  JR 
c.  .  o  jnexoiltuunx  :as  icl  b&^rutiioxe  rcseJ  .^nxv^ri  Ic   eeufios? 

&'ie  >:.7£  nx          .       "|)   ebaoj   art^  JoitJaivI  noijT-^iiil  oibaBaeoII>,   sii}1  lo 

•    .          ::.•-'.""  to\  o^itBhoxo  ni 


..xi  8*i*   ^Ino  beJnsaeiqan   x^xIjseT  nx 

.  /  ;. 
no^  .v  ru:«f..iJi3  ni  BiciclxjUiO  lo  J"ri/oO  ertmn;3  edj1     ^  bleri 


,-aot>d  biov  xletftlcBdjB  eiew  abnod  e^J1  JMJffcf   (etii  .  IjsO  <J£I) 
•sixl  J"fi;.  .  .        .-    lo  ai-me,"  saj-  x^  bel^inrxttq  Jon  noi*jBT8bi««oo  »  iol 
.1;  10   "ii  lev  otij    lo   iiv         •  d':on  bsvidStT   ncvgn  u"!ji. 

itaijiTiI  bn*Ie<j»iO  siit  x^f  beteei  abood  lo  000,061$  erfJ1  10 
•.  .tpiioxe  eiev?  0.    ,     :.   .asjso  id  bloa  8£w  001$   to  bnod  enc   \lno 

iol  oeyiBrioxe  «i8w  (000,  SOI  J   •  )  afanod  gnxniaan  «d^  b«£ 

Yd  beau  »d  c.  jooi^  lol  nevo  b«*   tlB-  OAJB  nodal  10!   .lennwj-  £   lo  noli 

ni  J8  ni    ,  S*?8I  ,82  .  n..i     .  .  o  .;;•   ;  &   eeoiiJ 

drt^  neiouj  egbul   ,  v.  ««a  Ic  JiuoO  ioiieqi;3  axi? 

•:  .      . 

bos  allow  10  1  beuasi  nesd  yniv/:n  ixi>ii^  lo   BBWBosd  bil*v«i   ed  o* 

.wx-I  orid'  toboL'  sldieeiHfieq  ton 
->s  ed 


(33) 


gation  District.   Stowell,  as  assignee  of  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  ft  Water  Company, 
was  under  contract  to  and  did  construct  certain  pipe  lines  for  the  district. 
The  contract  provided  that  when  a  certain  portion  of  the  pipe  line  should  be 
completed  it  should  be  transferred  to  the  district  together  with  certain  water 
rights  and  that  the  district  should  deliver  a  proportionate  amount  of  bonds  in 
return.  This  contract  was  carried  out  and  later  the  district  sought  to  avoid 
payment  of  its  bonds  on  the  ground  that  the  bonds  were  issued  for  construction 
work.  Some  of  tne  bonds  had  been  issued  to  the  original  company  and  received 
by  Stowell  from  it,  so  that  he  claimed  to  be  an  innocent  holder,  having  acquire! 
the  bonds  before  maturity  for  value  .  The  Court  upheld  the  validity  of  the 
bonds,  saying: 

"We  think,  however,  that  the  contract  is  not  to  be  construed  as  calling 
for  the  delivery  of  bonds  in  payment  for  construction  work.  It  provides  for  the 
transfer  and  conveyance  to  the  district  at  different  times  of  specific  water 
rights,  together  with  completed  pipelines  and  right  of  way  necessary  to  the  use 
and  enjoyment  of  the  water  rights  so  transferred.  The  bonds  are  in  each  instance, 
to  be  issued  by  the  district  as  the  purchase  price  of  the  water  rights  and 
completed  pipelines  and  systems  conveyed  to  it,  and  only  upon  the  delivery  of 
a  deed  conveying  such  property.  !!o  construction  work  was  to  be  done,  under  this 

contract,  for  the  district." "What  it  (the  district)  did  agree  to  do 

was  to  purchase  certain  water  rights  ,  together  with  the  pipelines  needed  for  the 
reception  and  distribution  of  the  water,  and  to  pay  for  such  property,  whenready 
for  delivery  and  acceptance,  with  bonds.  We  think  the  bonds  valid,  even  in  the 
hands  of  the  original  holders." 

As  this  case  was  decided  in  March  1909  it  represents  the  latest  word 
on  the  subject  and  is  thought  by  many  to  indicate  that  the  California  courts  are 
corning  to  be  very  much  more  inclined  to  protect  the  interests  of  the  holders 
of  irrigation  district  bonds  against  attempted  repudiations  by  the  districts, 
wherever  the  transactions  were  carried  through  in  good  faith  and  the  districts 
received  a  fair  value  in  exchange  for  trie  bonds  .  Some  of  the  early  decisions 
seem  to  indicate  a  surprising  readiness  on  tne  part  of  the  nisi  prius  iuages 

»-—•>-»—   ••••^•^•^MP 

to  hold  the  bonds  invalid  for  very  slignt  irregularities,  and  many  people  have 
expressed  the  opinion  that  the  nearness  of  the  lower  court  judges  to  the  people 
of  the  districts  tended  to  bias  t&eir  opinions  somewhat.  However,  this  may  be, 


4  ortr.J  c~-  «^i8B*  a*   ,  IIe«K>*3 

om.TBno3  bib  b/ie  od  ^o/;ijnoo  i&bau 

enil  sqlc  ah*    lo  noxJ-roq  niei-xeo  £  nsriw  tori*  bobivc-iq  Joeid-rroo  anT 
fcjioo  tij-jcw  is         i      J-»ia*eifc.  atfl   otf  bfrvieleium  ecf.  bluori*  *i  fae^elqmco 
ni  sb«cj    to  j.-stomi  -jL-oria  Joii^axb  edJ1  ^sril  fan* 

i        o^   J-ii  ..J-JB!  fan*  $1:0  oaiTWJO  »*w  ^OBTL^KOO  eiiiT     . 

itc  a   iol  bajjB.-.u.  v«^  ^   ...  01,3  en4"  no  ebnca   ali   lo  d 

ijBVXboei  fam;   \p*qi.    :  -10   saij   o-   iekiasi  lieeo  EJJSU  abnca"  ea*  'io  «mo3 

.  i  d'neoon^j:  HB   stf  oJ-  »i  ^JBtii"   oe    .J'i  cionl 

.•  v  icl  \Jiitri"  tffi  tnolao   aancd 


BJ?  isotniJ-artoo  ad   ;•                            .  .  'tevewcii  . 

3^                                        .  oi  eonod  lo  \isvileb  erf*  tol 

oil.             10  eemii   t.  •£  o*  «D«a\3Vflco  bas 

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bnfi  ajn^i'i  aej-jsw  aa^  lo  acx  .  as  Jox-ttBib  aiij   xtf  beuasi  ecf  o* 

to   \.'iytfiXeb  t.  ad"8\s   om*  aanileqiq  bejsl 
airil  it                                 aev/-  »iow  noiJojjiiJanco  o'l     .\j-iLqonc  rioi;e  ^flixsvnoo  be*&  A 

oi)  oj  ...........  H.  *oiid~e  so  ate  tol   ,  Jo^'tf  noc 

i  bsbsen   seoilaqiq  oiiJ   aJi.v  •:  ii  n&^w  ni*J'ieo  e'.eaoiuo  ot  SJBW 

-:ol   x^jc   oJ-  ijni?  ,•                                  udi-Ueib 

ni  «evs   .bil^v  abaocf  artt   ^«irW   »W  .  8<;nc                ,  eon,  .;  qec  oa  bn 

lo 


ni 

uoaj  si  on--,  io.'Lcfi-f:  airf  no 

•J-aai^iii  e.-tr  s'tom  rioiaa.  'o»v  esi  oJ^  ^nimoo 

eaJ-   vu   -;ii  A.  .fi;>B  ebuod  Jox-xJ-aib  aoi^Baxiix  to 

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- 

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;o  aesi:-.  •  beseeiqxe 

.                                      .  "io 


(34) 


it  is  certain  that  the  bondholders  have  found  it  difficult  to  enforce  payment  of 
their  claims. 

Still  another  phase  of  the  litigation  was  that  concerning  water  rights .  •*" 
As  before  stated  the  Wright  Act  was  expected  to  be  of  assistance  in  settling 
water  right  difficulties  but  the  effect  was  almost  contrary  to  that  expected. 
The  district*  found  that  they  did  not  have  any  power  to  override  tne  rights  which 
had  already  vested  and  that  so  far  from  being  in  a  better  position  than  private 
parties  in  securing  water  rights,  they  were  apparently  in  a  worse  position.  The 
right  of  eminent  domain  they  did  not  attempt  to  use  in  securing  water  rights  and 
it  is  very  doubtful  if  it  could  have  been  exercised  with  much  success  for  the 
amount  which  would  have  to  be  paid  as  fixed  by  a  jury  might  and  probably  would 
be  greater  than  they  could  be  purchased  for  originally.  As  to  securing  rights 
by  appropriation  or  purchase  it  developed  that  the  districts,  by  reason  of  their 
lack  of  flexibility  in  business  affairs,  were  at  a  disadvantage  .  If  a  district 
desired  to  secure  a  dam  or  reservoir  site  the  necessary  publicity  given  to  its 
intentions  gave  opportunity  to  the  owners  of  the  property  in  question  to  advance 
the  price  to  the  limit. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  rights  of  the  district  were  attacked  the  • 
expense  of  defending  them  made  inroads  on  the  funds  which  were  desperately  needed 
for  construction  work.  Few  districts  avoided  water  right  litigation  and  many 
lost  by  it  the  water  supply  which  they  had  expended  large  sums  to  secure .  The 
cases  of  the  Grapeland  and  Vineland  districts  have  already  been  mentioned  in 
which  the  districts  were  prevented  from  continuing  the  development  of  a  water 
supply  because  of  adverse  court  decisions.  In  the  IJadera  Irrigation  District, 
in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  the  district  proposed  to  appropriate  the  waters  of 
Fresno  River  but  filler  &  Lux,  who  owned  large  tracts  of  land  riparian  to  the 
stream  threatened  to  restrain  any  such  diversion  and  the  district  had  to  give 
up  the  plan.  Andso  in  many  districts.  In  some  cages  trie  districts  successfully 


J-fls. 


-; 


ei 


AToi^figii'xX  aitf    io   98Bflq  •jotttorus  ILcJfi 

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bib 
:   BReaoye  ...  ...  •••: 

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new  «jj  : 


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(35) 


resisted  the  attacks  on  their  water  rights  but  the  expense  incident  was  so 

I.  **« 

:  * 

great  that  victory  was  almost  as  deadly  as  defeat. 

V.'e  have  thus  seen  that  many  of  the  factors  affecting  the  success  of 

tne  districts  were  distinctly  unfavorable  and  it  is  not  strange  that  so  many 

'  *"*  •  a 

of  the  districts  were  unsuccessful •  It  is  clear  that  to  no  one  cause  can  be 
attributed  the  failure  of  all  the  districts,  for  factors  which  caused  disas- 
trous failure  in  some  districts  were  entirely  lacking  or  inoperative  in  other 
districts  which  failed  quite  as  disastrously.  The  factors  which  perhaps  stand 
out  most  clearly  as  causes  of  failure  are  (l)  lack  of  proper  water  supply, 

e.  ..T 
(2)  poor  management ,  including  improper  promotion,  (3)  inability  to  sell  bonds 

because  of  financial  stringency,  (4)  opposition.   Practically  all  the  failures 
among  the  districts  may  be  attributed  to  one  or  more  of  these  causes  and  the 
following  table  represents  an  attempted  classification  of  the  districts  according 


to  their  causes  of  failure. 


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s.  ic  aai/ioi;i  vJiii^nd  t>-!b>.v  ej  oi'^sib  SKCS  «i 

.  ja  eq^iiiar  iioid*  aicJ'O.e'i   SiiT     .  t-£'  «*  sJiup  oeliel  doxriw 

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aai-   lo  ao-.  :u&  aJnaeeiqai  elc{£^ 

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(36) 


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(38) 


IV.  The  Future  of  the  District  La». 
3e«m*  likalv  U      v.  tad  that  tc«  Walnut  district  ha»  t«9r-  .*.-.  ua-yj£^ifiei 

The  question  naturally  presents  itself  to  one  who  has  gone  over  the 
story  of  the  oldtime  districts:  "Can  districts  be  successfully  organized  and 
operated  under  the  Viright  law,  now  or  in  the  future!".  The  answer,  of  course, 
must  be  that  they  can  under  proper  conditions.  Probably  the  best  proof  of  this 
is  the  fact  that  of  the  early  districts  six  are  now  operating  successfully.  Let 
us  examine  briefly  the  status  of  the  six  districts  which  have,  after  years  of 
struggle,  succeeded  in  fulfilling  their  mission. 

The  Modesto  and  Turlock  systems  irrigated  approximately  110(000  acres 
in  1912  and  the  acreage  irrigated  is  increasing  yearly.  The  Lodesto  district 
has  bonds  outstanding  to  the  amount  of  $1,558,462.25  (1911).  The  Turlock 
district  has  $1, 546,160  in  bonds  outstanding  (January  1,  1912).  The  bonds 
sell  for  about  92  cents  on  the  dollar.  Both  districts  are  operating  very 
successfully  and  include  within  their  boundaries  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
faming  sections  of  the  state. 

Tne  Tulare  Irrigation  District  is  in  an  even  more  enviable  position 
as  it  has  an  abundant  water  supply  and  owes  nothing .  Tnose  in  charge  say  that 
they  would  not  take  a  million  collars  for  tneir  water  supply  and  works,  although 
the  cost  to  the  district  was  only  ^500,000  in  bonds  wnich  the  district  after- 
wards settled  for  $273,000.  The  farmers  owning  land  unaer  tiie  district  are 
very  prosperous. 

Similar  conditions  exist  in  the  Alta  Irrigation  District,  near  Dinuba, 

although  this  district  owes  £477,000.  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  of  the  complete 

solvency 
of  this  or  the  other  three  districts  just  mentioned. 

The  Little  Rock  Irrigation  District  and  the  Walnut  Irrigation  District, 
in  Los  Angeles  County,  are  very  small ,  irrigating  less  than  1,000  acres  each, 
and  their  experience  is  less  important,  r.owever  it  may  be  said  that  the  Little 


oeri  oaw  eno  oJ"   ile.oJi  adnsauiq  ylLsisjiBti  noiJseup 

fan*  besin.c0*jo  \IJjjl3aaoous   sd  sJDi-id-aib  afiO"   lejoiijaic  umi.tblo   ertf  To   Y 

,  eeiijoa  1e   .lewsite  ariT     ."TeiuJ'cl   siii  ni  10  won  ,  wjsi  ^ilgiT* 

airil  lo  looiq  J'aaa'  eitt  n-t^^0'1^     .  ano  jjioaoja  'isqc'u-i  *t(>pnu_  nuo  Y8111-   ^*fW   ecf  Jawr. 

j8j  .  •liliul^aooous  jjni^Bieqo  won  etc  xie  BJoxi^sxa  \ltee  aaj"   Ttc  JariJ  ^aal  aril  ei 

lo  u-i.ee^  -is^'lii   ,  svfcii  iioiiiw  sJoiijnifa  xia   eiiJ'  lo  ew^j-a   srU  ^il&iij  eniinc-xs  ai; 

.noisaxin  -lisrj  gnillillt'l  ni  bebeeooua   .el^girxJa 
000,011   v;Iejjip.!J;xoi<;qj3  beji^i'ni  ameja^B  jJooliuT  bn«  ciasboM  eriT 

ib  od-eoboid  adT     .\IieeY  ^riia«anoni  si  b&toaivxi   ajjjee'io*  ariJ   boe  SI?I  ni 
jiooIiuT  e;iT     .  (II2I)   ei.Sdf-.ffec,!^  'io  crra-oms  eiif   oj   snibruBja^yo   ebnocf  sjid 
abnoa   eri'i     .  (*I6i  «I  \ir.unBL)  gniDnoj^aluo  abnod  ni  OSIjd^c,!^  s^ii  ^oiiw*8io 
\^av  jflij-maCjO  aos  a^oiid'sib  tii-oa     .rt^IIoo  s^  no  eirseo  S€  d'iJcia*  70!  ,Ilea 
ajjoiaqaoiq  j-som  eaj-   'io   sno  aeiifibituod  liea^  nitfi'iw  ebtloni  bixj?  \IIfla  9'jDOJLta 

,»^£ja  QdJ1   io  sncid'osa  ^niri£l 

:iQ  ertoai  nevs  oe  ni  si  Jci-iJaiC  noij^iml  eieltT  enT 

\ee  sgoefto  ni   oaoriT     .  gnitijon  a&wo  brtB  ^c.?"8  ^bJ'JS*  drusomrtte  njs  sari  *i  a* 
Jjs    .SAIOW  one   ^Icqjja  I^BW  liaaJ-  iol   a'tellob  noillira  £  ejUsj  j-on  bluow  yenl 
Jr.inj«ib  anj  doi.iw  abnca  ni          .       .>  \Ino  -^BW  Jci'iJ'sib  orLt  oi  i   :  • 
"iijgib  QiU'  Toanu  bnjsl  ^n^.  :,  'i  eaT     .OOC,£Yu$  10!  abtew 

.  BJ.  -ia 

oti  ,Jr^.  iiTl  P.HJL  onJ  ni  Jr-ixe  snoiJionc'j 


o  9^j-  lo  Jduoo  on  ecf  oJ-  emaaa  e-ieriT     .OOO.VVH  aa«o  d-oirtj-aib 

•  »  ../p.ib  saidJ  'ij;i^o   afld  i. 


-  .  i-ni  jiocfl  el*ji.. 

,  .  ao,I  ni 

.  one 


(39) 


Rock  district,  after  a  long  period  of  depression,  has  been  rehabilitated  and 
seems  likely  to  succeed,  and  that  the  Y/alnut  district  has  been  an  unqualified 
success  throughout,  although  the  fact  that  it  has  never  issued  bonds  makes  it 
an  unsatisfactory  standard  by  which  to  judge  the  success  of  the  typical  district 
organization. 

A  renewal  of  interest  in  the  district  form  of  organization  has  been 
shown  by  the  organization  during  the  last  three  years  of  three  new  districts;, 
the  South  San  Joaquin  Irrigation  District  in  May  1909,  the  Cakdale  Irrigation 
District  in  November  1909  and  the  Imperial  District  in  July  1911.  The  progress 
made  and  difficulties  encountered  by  these  districts  may  well  serve  as  evidence 
bearing  on  the  question  under  discussion. 

The  Imperial  Irrigation  District  was  organized  to  cover  360,000  acres 
in  the  Imperial  Valley,  southern  California.  The  necessity  for  its  organization 
arose  from  the  insolvency  of  the  California  Development  Company  which  had 
previously  supplied  water  to  a  group  of  mutual  water  companies  operating  in  the 
Valley.  The  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.,  had  a  large  claim  against  the  company 
for  services  rendered  in  stopping  the  break  at  the  diversion  point  of  the 
canal  eyetem  froa  the  Colorado  River,  and  acquired  the  interests  of  other 
creditors  of  the  company ,  so  tnat  it  held  claims  against  the  company  to  a  total 
of  about  $5,000,000.  The  formation  of  an  irrigation  district  under  the  Y»rigfat- 
Eridgford  Act  was  then  urged  and  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  agreed  to  accept 
£5,000,000  of  tne  bonds  of  such  a  district  in  exchange  for  its  claims.  It  was 
estimated  that  the  district  would  have  to  issue  about  £10,000,000  in  bonds  in 
order  to  make  the  payment  required  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  and  to 
rehabilitate  and  extend  the  irrigation  system. 

The  plan,  from  its  inception,  encountered  strong  opposition,  raainly 
from  those  who  believed  that  the  organization  of  a  mutual  company  or  companies 
would  be  more  satisfactory  but  it  was  voted  to  organize  the  district,  the  vote 


•J&3  ilidaciQi  ti9s>d  srri  ,  lo  be.  •          .ioi  JB  inflf,  ,  J-axtfexb  aioofl 

b&ililsupnu  ne  need  &KA  Joiidaib  tfualfiV1  eiil  teriJ  bfl*   ,  b&aoouB  oj  x^6*-^  3«>£»ee 
*j  i   b&jjssx  -i&vsn   at..         .          ^osi  Qrtf  fi^iton*!*   ,  *uon-£UQ~tttt   aasoows 

aa*  to  aasoojje   y^iJ  oJ-  rioiriw  \d 


<  lo  ano'l  ..  iu.  t3Qi&3RJ.   lo  Ie»e«si  A 

4?j.  j&t  Qs'inj   lo  ?;-x*9\  eetrii  ftta!  eat  ynxiui;  nci^sifoss^'jo  odi   \<d  nworia 

•  an^   ,  0061  \JB::  fii  ^oi-waia  noi^^xtal  niirpaol  n£3  dJuo3 
ee6iao'ICI  °rfT     .Xiei  \iul  ni  j-oxijeia  JJei'ieqiil  *dt  ban 
so;,  -vJexo  esei..  ^-laJni/oous  eaiJlL'o.i'nib  iwie 

4 

.  ncia:.  teem;  nuij«u»j{>   odj  ao  ^ni' 

aaiOB  0      ,     it  ibvoo  od"  besxiu^jio  BJSW  J  .1  noiJ-esiTiI  leiieqfiil  «aT 

aciJ  -TO   iji  10!  v  ;T     .£imo'lxIfL'  meil^uoa   ,  \eIifiV  Xainecml  e/ij  ni 

;  rioxaw  Yflsq|ao3  -  I  vved  fiimoitileO  eiu   'lo  \Qaaviceai  9df  osoTl 

UK  lo 
ri   ,.oC 

io  jnioq  noia'ievxb  adJ1  ^fi  ^jseid  enJ'  anjcqqoia  ni  fa&i«fanei  eeoiviea  iol 

10  eJsi/iBJ-ni   an.:  n  objBTOlo'J  »a}-  moil  tr^e\s  LB/IBO 

uj  ^  oj   \iUEqcioo  fnit  J8ni«g£  amx^Io  fai\  .  -4it   oa   ,  ^nec-tnoa   90^   lo  aioJifaaio 

.\c  lox-jj-axb  noxi-igiinti  BJB          i     ^Braio't  aaT     .  000,000,  fi^  *tf02«  lo 

,jj  ^nsqcjoO  oi'ixoisl  r-  ^iie  begiw  .TsaJ-  aew  «aa  bnot^iTH 

./  Ji     .  .    BOX  -ioi  a^nRiioxd  nx  J"  ^  s  done  lo  sfinod  o.  ,  £!: 

•si  fajjDc*  fol-i^axb  afl*  ^*riJ  be^BriJae 

oi  -r  ^8b^o 

.meJc  ,iej.\8  !  :  idjeadT 

^tl.  . 

..;? 


(40) 


-  ty 

standing  1298  for  organization  and  362  against.  Various  legal  proceedings  were 
had  to  prevent  the  district  from  continuing  but  the  outcome  has  been  favorable 
to  the  district  and  an  act  passed  by  the  Special  reesior.  of  the  Legislature  of 
1911  nas  declared  all  proceedings  on  formation  and  organization  of  the  district 
valid 

The  career  of  this  district  will  be  watched  with  great  interest  for 
inasmuch  as  it  is  under  a  considerable  handicap  at  the  outset,  a  successful 
outcome  would  prove  very  encouraging  to  the  friends  of  the  district  plan. 

The  South  San  Joaquin  Irrigation  District  and  the  Oakdale  Irrigation 
District  are  situated  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  adjoining  the  Modesto  Irrigation 
District.  These  districts  have  now  been  in  existence  three  years  and  their 
experience  is  very  valuable  as  being  fairly  indicative  of  what  may  now  be  expected 
from  such  organizations.  It  should  be  noted  in  the  first  place,  that  these 
districts  have  a  good  water  supply  in  view;  their  land  is  excellent;  there  are 
no  insuperable  obstacles  to  putting  the  water  on  the  land;  and  the  whole  prob- 
lem is  that  of  raising  and  expending  judiciously  &.  sum  necessary  to  secure  the 
proper  completion  of  the  work.  And  simple  as  this  may  seem,  abundant  difficulty 
has  already  been  encountered.  Even  as  in  the  early  days,  difficulty  is  now 
met  with  when  attempts  are  made  to  eell  the  district  bonds.  In  a  paper  read 
before  the  Commonwealth  Club  of  California1,  Edwin  Duryea,  Jr.,  Chief  Engineer 
for  the  South  San  Joaquin  Irrigation  District,  said: 

"It  is  a  veil  /crown  fact,  however,  that  not  only  can  we  not  sell  these  bonds 
at  par,  but  that  at  the  present  time  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  eell  them  in 
large  quantities  at  all,  even  at  80*.  or  75/»  of  their  par  value;  and  that  at  no 
time  since  the  formation  of  the  first  V, right  districts  eome  twenty  years  ago  has 
it  been  possible  to  sell  such  district  bonds  at  par." 

for  public  m^Otft,  wnef.  ?*pprovea  cy  tj  e  ai-Cvr  :  ••:  ivnt.:  .  ..__  PICK,  it  .  **ua 

Note  1.   Transactions  of  the  Conanonwealth  Club  of  California,  Vol.  VI. 
Ko.  8,  p. 563. 

-  .;.  .  r  •  .  ;  "j  :  .    ;.i.;.. 


;»  .  «feio  tot 

9l  i-d-noo    .  J-l^aib  aiW  Jnevaiq  oJ    O 

lo   9Ti  „•   ijcf  faaaa^q  *y«  OB  baa  J-airt^al 

o  ejnibesooiq  Lie  baialoeb 


.  .,'3i£j  ai»it  lo 

If  .ji'sijoo  ii  labnu  3i  li  a£ 

•oit'i  e...  s  ynav  avoiq  bluotr 

no-  arfj'  boo  J-oinraiJ  n  ,txup«ol  rm3  rf^yoa  erf? 

.     rm3  »tU-  ni 

ii'-  80ii9^siK9  ux  n&-  .i 

•03«i": 

Jl     .3ftoi-  10  rfous  moil 

OTJS   snenJ-    jw-  :  T^JSW  bo  c$  s   everi  eJ-oii.1 

-^  £"i-    bi^e    ;..  o*  a»l3e.f8-?o   elrf  JBI  aqu^ni   on 

arL  ;;3  o*  \  i.tB  jniulBT  'lo  j-finJ-  ai  mal 

.tnaaa  /  erij  lo  noilelqmoo 

*°''  ••illio   ,  .tav.i     . 

«I     .sine.  .  Llea  oi  ./IP  aj-qmsj-J-e  nst*r 

,.at    aa-.  . 


:-f:.  ^OL    .1Ji!3    . 

IVTO^JS   II  wr  j 
nj:  medj   i  . 

i 

i 


• 


(41) 


Both  of  these  districts  have  been  much  handicapped  by  this  condition 
and  have  been  obliged  to  dispose  of  their  bonds  in  evasion  of  the  law  which 

provides  that  "said  board  shall  in  no  event  sell  any  of  the  said  bonds  for  less 
Xr/t  early  •'. -.,          tr.  f         l:..-ei;.cr  v^rr  «f  the  ofj'rrin^e  tf  t.^s  »i*« 
than  the  par  value  thereof.  That  this  provision  ie  in  effect  disregarded  is 

a  matter  of  common  knowledge  and  a  further  quotation  from  L'r.  Duryea  will  show 

how  it  ie  done. 

rri-.e.  1.--*  v.:..;ie  are  aot,  cm  a  rule,  isttsitortd  it  satisfactory  claes  of  iawrV- 
"The  method  used  to  give  this  rebate  -  the  only  one  ever  found  practicable  - 
is  to  make  a  secret  (or  rather  ignored)  combination  between  the  bond  buyer  and 
some  contractor  by  which  the  contractor  agrees  to  construct  the  irrigation  sye- 
tem  at  a  nominal  price,  say  25^  in  excess  of  the  true  price  in  cash  (for  bonds 
at  BCff,  of  par)  .  The  bond  buyer  then  buys  the  bonds  direct  from  the  district 
at  par,  the  contractor  is  paid  by  the  district  say  125%  of  the  true  cash  value 
of  the  work  -  and  the  contractor  then  passes  on  to  the  bond  buyer  the  extra 
25^  which  he  has  received  from  the  district.  The  bond  buyer  thus  receives  his 
relate;  and  the  bond  sale  wnich  appears  upon  the  district  records  as  if  made  at 
par,  is  in  fact  made  at  2C;t  below  par."  Transactions  of  the  Commonwealth  Club, 
Vol.  VI,  Ko.  8,  p.  567. 

It  is  therefore  evident  that  although  tneee  districts  nay  and  probably 

It 
will  succeed,  they  must  labor  under  a  heavy  burden  due  to  their  poor  credit  and 

to  the  consequent  high  cost  of  their  systems .  Many  efforts  have  been  made  to 

amend  the  law  so  as  to  increase  the  saleability  of  the  bonds  but  it  seems  obvious 

<sr  i.f  --be  c^f.rict  in  'tr          1t.i.t 
that  more  than  mere  changes  in  the  law  will  be  necessary  to  render  the  district 

bonds  cesiracle  investments.  The  measures  attracting  most  attention  were  passed 
at  the  Special  Session  of  the  1911  Legislature  and  provided  that  a  state  board 
made  up  of  the  Attorney  General,  the  Superintendent  of  Banks  and  the  State 

Engineer  should  exercise  certain  supervisory  powers  over  the  issuance  of  district 

:rfl£i*.;,in  iUu-ict  oay  b*  vory.ver?  tttf  51  Y»i/,»«ry  good  one  "Uo  only 
bonds  and  that  such  bonds  when  issued  should  be"legal  for  investments  for  the 

funds  of  banks,  banking  associations,  trust  companies,  insurance  companies, 
t  xasiartiee  cr  t/i*  ;.  o^-ci  ir.  *ti««Utn  *£*  •  ie  of  the  f.-.c-»r» 

and  for  the  state  school  funds  and  trust  funds,"  "for  deposit  as  security 

for  public  moneys,  when  approved  by  the  abovementioned  commission.  It  seems 
unlikely  that  this  measure  can  nave  such  effect  in  increasing  the  saleacility 
of  irrigation  district  bonds  for  it  makes  little  change  in  the  metnod  of  issuing 
and  disposing  of  the  tones  which  must  still  be  disposed  of  in  the  manner  described 


aJ  avttd  aJ"ji'jjai&.  aass-iJ   lo  ri; 

..    ;o  r:  .j  So  .   o^1  i»a^ildo  ns$d  evjsa  on* 

i  io'i  i    sftt   lo   ^fus  ilea  insvy  on  ai  iljwia  based  iujes"  JjeriJ  eebivoiq 

ta  fli  ax  noiaivoiq  si.tf  JeaT     .  "losn&tlr   eulav  teq 
wo.  I  .  n;i  moTl  noiJ'^i'oup  leri^ujl  a  b«s   e^oslvoiii  noncnoo  lo 

.  snob   2i  «i  won 


-  sJ  isve  a«o  x-^°  aii*  -  e*fl^oi.  axd^  avxg  oJ-  besu 

•.loiji-rti-im-o   (  •:  no)  Jsnosa  a  siBm  oi  si 

-a\  -j  oi-  3e9-j;jjB  •:  QM  ;ioxii*  x^  to^o^'ijnoo  ecuos 

abi.  CTG   eifij  srW"  Ito  :  ^aa   ,  eoiTq   Ifiniinoit  &  JB  ma^ 

jol'.  il  sos'-.  ..cf  feay  a^^  nacij-  is^ud  cnoa'  eUT     .  ("wq  'lo  i?08  ^a 

,  i-oii.  ;   yd  bieq  si  •joi'0£iJ.'ioo  QiiJ-   ,t*q  i-s 

OJ    no    38'.:  ,.itf    103-OB'lJnOO    8iti-    JjfUl    -    ilCW    6itt    50 

aiii  aavif  i  eiif     ,*L.  .arUJ-  moi'i  oaviaosi   ae-i  orf  lioiffw 

•  -ib  s.-ij  noqt'  B*J  doi.iw  eif58  bnoJ  e4i~  bn*   jofJBJe-i 

lo  anoi^Ofiafte'iT     H,  Tjciq  wulso'  tvOS  J/t  eiwera  bo&l  ni  ai   ,  iaq 

.Ydc  .q  ,8  .oW  ,IV.  .IoV 


..iij    rigiioit^le  «aii-    Jn^iiiva    -,,  j  ;:.„..,;    ai  jj 

j.ij   oJ-  ewo  txa^iAjJ  ^Vjcea  A  leoau  'lodjel  Jeun  ^otij    ,b»»3ou«  Iliw 
o-  .o  ^rteM     .aaidja^B  ij:9;ld   lo  Jeoo  d^id  inoypaanoo  odl   o- 

abna-j  oaj   'io   \Jili  .j^.-jlaa  arii   a^^oioai  OJT   o»   oa  waL  enJ   o, 
.•usi  oJ"   v-  i  ad  iJiw  wsi  ariJ"  «i  as^nsn^   e'jea  nertJ"   9-iOtn  icHJ' 

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(42) 


by  Mr.  Duryea.  The  districts  are  still  as  likely  to  be  affected  by  such 
adverse  factors  as  lack  of  water  supply,  improper  promotion,  opposition,  liti- 
gation, etc.,  as  they  were  twenty  years  ago.  The  long  list  of  failures  during 
the  early  days  renders  the  average  investor  wary  of  the  offerings  of  the  dis- 
tricts and  the  unsatisfactory  methods  now  pursued  in  marketing  the  bonds  make 
the  well  informed  investor  unwilling  to  take  the  bones  save  at  an  extremely  low 
price.  The  bonds  are  not,  ae  a  rule,  considered  a  satisfactory  class  of  invest- 
ment for  banks,  etc.,  and  nence  the  provision  mentioned  above  allowing  banis  to 
hold  them  seems  likely  to  be  of  little  immediate  value. 

To  summarize  the  conclusions  as  to  the  possibility  of  success  under 
the  district  organization  we  may  note  that  the  districts  are  subject  to  all  the 
factors  which  night  operate  adversely  to  any  irrigation  project  and  in  addition 
have  certain  inherent  difficulties  of  their  own  such  as  the  difficulty  of  dis- 
posing of  bonds  and  the  difficulty  of  securing  an  efficient  management.  It 
therefore  follows  that  the  project  proposed  for  a  district  must  be  of  such 
excellence  as  to  justify  the  expenditure  of  a  sum  considerably  in  excess  of  the 
cash  price  of  supplying  the  land  with  water ,  if  the  district  is  to  succeed .  This 
being  the  case,  each  district  is  a  separate  and  distinct  problem  and  when  we 
speak  of  the  value  of  irrigation  district  securities  of  the  present  day  we  mean 
nothing  definite  unlcce  we  take  up  each  district  separately  and  consider  the 
various  factors  and  problems  connected  with  its  plan.  In  other  words,  the  bonds 
of  an  irrigation  district  may  be  very, very  bad  or  very, very  good  and  the  only 
method  by  which  their  statue  can  be  accurately  determined  is  by  a  complete 
examination  ci  the  project  in  question  and  a  thorough  analysis  of  the  factors 
bearing  upon  its  success. 


'.$\la  ad  ol   ^Isrixl  as  ilils   QIS  B^OXIJ  =sxi;  t*riT     . 

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APPDICIX  A. 


IRRIGATICt;   DISTRICTS  ORGAICIZED  IN  CALIr ORr,:IA. 


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PROPOSED 


ACTON  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 


Loe  Angeles  County, 


Acton  ie  a  very  email  station  on  the  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
R.  R.  Co.,  between  Saugus  and  Harold,  the  latter  point  being  the  entrance  point 
of  the  line  from  the  southern  part  of  the  State  into  Antelope  Valley .  The  land 
in  the  vicinity  of  Acton  ie  broken  and  mountainous  and  any  irrigation  which 

might  be  practiced  would  require  expensive  works  for  impounding  and  distributing 

:or  c'  Ainajti/r-!  ,.  ;•  .:•" 

the  water. 

Notwithstanding  the  difficulty  of  bringing  lands  near  Acton  under 

irrigation,  a  petition  dated  December  26,  1892,  for  the  formation  of  an  irri- 
tcig  ccwf.^ny   A 

gatior  district  under  the  Wright  law  was  presented  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

A  protest  signed  by  six  residents  of  the  proposed  district  was  also  presented, 

the  r* 
stating  that  under  the  project  the  lands  would  be  bonded  to  half  of  their  value 

and  that  the  promoters  would  get  the  benefit.  The  petition  for  organization  was 

withdrawn  February  27,  1893  and  nothing  more  has  been  heard  of  the  proposed 

:-«•.«?•>:.  ret  •  .c  T.;  '  re** on  : 

district  since . 


Iu    WITAC.^  "Of. 

jUii  acj 


lo   artil  oner  no  rioxJ-Mifra  IJaoia  \iev  a  ax  a 

exit  anxad  Jnioq  isfJ-fil  arid"   ,  bloijeii  urts  aw^UJsa  «3»v;tsd   ,.oD  .H  .H 
.  '{oIL.'V  oqoJeJrtA  otni  eJ'^d'S  t-^   ic  J":sq  aiaiUjjoa  artJ"  ;uoil   anil  a.ii'   lo 
rio.  itii  Y'te  ^I^B  awonlaj-nuoiff  bna  neiioncf  ai  noi-oA  ^c  ^i-^-taiv  esi*  nl 

oc:iai  10!  aiio^  svxanac.xe  9^iupQ^  blao*  bsoitOBiq  ecf 


aboel  anxyniTd   lo  ^JliJQiltio  odd"  jn 
o  aoiJ'jsfinol   arid-  -xo't   ,ii58I  ,  8S  ^cfasooCI  bol>;b 
.^  lo  brusoS  efid"  of  Jb&jaee«nq  asw  wel  J-.i^iiW  9i 

oalB  a^-w  J-oiaJ-aib  beaoaonq  arid'  lo  rafrnebxaeT  xia  Yrf  beng-ia  J-ssJoiq  A 
et/Lav  TiyuJ-  lo  'ILea  o.t  ijebaocf  ed  bluow  -100*1  9fit  J'Oai.o'fq  9itt  isboju  tetii  ^nitaJ'a 
asw  noiJ"^?!  10!  aoiJztoq  saT     4jil9a9d  arid"  J~9g  bluow  BTeJ-onjoia  otU"  IsriJ"  one 

.    io  bixosi  nead  acd  a-toc  301.1^01  bne  ii 


PROPOSED 

ALHAKERA  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 

J.  .    -,;    -.  •'> 

Loe  Angelee  County. 

it  i*  neeer  •••;/    to  f  c  l*c*  *  fr*  y«*r*  rrier 

jo  v.itfc  tr  c    .  i;?*u;i2:ttic,B  of  &  cascpany  to 

in  B««r     ui>,y.   eto'i^  eit^tcep  adl<?s  ac--.Ua*v   »;*  Rriuar-o*.   aoo   £6&»K  fee     ..--* 
This  eeece  to  have  teen  an  attempt  to  organize  and  get  water  under 

Tfcix  cftifejdc*  wt*  or  •  '  . 

the  district  organization  in  order  to  secure  conditions  which  might  be  con- 
sidered superior  to  those  already  exieting.     The  town  was  supplied  with  water 

£<i*crti*liifc;   to  aan%&&'t    .  -      '-.-ci  ».'   n*.;;   -.  .      •»:••.•••*;••    &r.c   *o    •  r*a.v«  a  •aric&'t   ;'t- 
for  domestic  use  and  irrigation  by  the  Alhambra  Addition  V;ater  Conyany  and 

I'r.  Bishop,  who  wae  president  of  that  company  at  the  time,  thinks  that  the 
district  was  proposed  because  of  come  dissatisfaction  with  the  service  fur- 
nished by  this  company.     A  petition  for  organization  was  filed  with  the  Board 
of  Supervisors  on  August  3,  1891,  and  was  approved  by  that  body,  but  was  later 
withdrawn  at  the  request  of  the  petitioners.    What  led  to  the  withdrawal  of  the 
petition  does  not  appear.     Most  of  the  old  residents  have   forgotten  that  there 
ever  was  a  movement  for  the  organization  of  a  district  and  Mr.  Bishop,  who 
remembers  the  movement,   coee  not  remember  the  reason  for  its  abandonment. 


v. - 


:"^!    2ii 

D    ij<il93ilA    80  J 


afljB   asla-B^-iO  oJ   jqa^.gj-j-ji  rus  cot.;'  evfiri  oo    aaiasa 
•:noi.  oj-  Table  fix   itoi^BSXOBQ 

•i.  .  .la   aBOilJ-  ol  loiisqua  batebia 

i).  ,joiJ-ibbr\  -LA  erii-  vd  noiJ-Bi^i-ni  boa   aau  oiJ-aeKOi)  10! 

9ril  J-jcii-.J-  ax.iiAj-   ,  odjiJ-  sriJ-  tB   vftscfmoo  J-Bii^  lo  tnabiaaiq  aew  ochr  .qoiisiH  .*df 
-f  I j-OBlsiJ-naaifa  ai;;oa  'io  ssuaoed  osaoqoiq  a.aw  ioxilaJta 

uifiod   a^iJ-  t,Ji-/  asl-cl  •;•  iol  noiJ-iJ-eq  A     .ipuujtnoo  axdi-  yd  bstiain 

•'  Ji/J   ,  y;ooj   Jiii-uf   vJ  sew  bn  ,    ,  6  *su^i>A  no  anoaivnsgua  lo 

.•rr.'.iJivy  adJ-  oi1  bal  J'jwf/V     .  aionoxj-xd'eq  uat  ^o  Jasupdi  srit 

•.  ?1  evari  aJfisbiaaT  bio  9iU    to  J-aoM     .teaqqe  J-on  seob 
or.  .ill  otis  ^oxi;fexb  B  lo  o  art*  10!  5r«ei38voio  JB  9^5-* 

TO-  ^on  aeob  4 


ALLFSSAMKO  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Riverside  County  -  Organized  Jan.  12,  1891  -  Area  25,500  acres. 


In  order  to  trace  the  history  of  the  Alleeeandro  Irritation  District 
it  is  necessary  to  go  back  a  few  years  prior  to  ite  organization  and  examine 

the  events  leading  up  to  it,  the  most  important  of  which  are  those  having  to 
.-  , 

j  >•«»  i  <  •  r* 

do  with  the  organization  of  a  company  to  construct  a  large  storage  reservoir 
in  Bear  Valley,  alout  eighteen  miles  northeast  of  Redlands  ,  and  known  as  the 
Bear  Valley  Land  4  Water  Company.  This  company  was  organized  in  1883  with  a 

rj  TL  t.£  3  •«..'? 

capital  of  $360,000  and  immediately  began  a  well  planned  course  of  newspaper 

advertising  to  acquaint  the  rmblic  with  the  project  and  to  create  a  market  for 
_  .    **  *  • 

P  _  .',?,.   M^-JlvA*. 

the  water  to  be  impounded  in  the  reservoir.  In  the  Riverside  Press  of  July 
18,1889,  it  was  said  that  "there  is  probably  enough  water  in  sight  to  irrigate 
one-half  of  the  irrigable  lands  of  the  Santa  Ana  Valley".  The  company's  dam, 
constructed  in  1885,  was  50  feet  high,  16  feet  thick  at  the  base,  3  feet  at 
the  capstone,  and  300  feet  in  length,  and  impounded  10,000,000,000  gallons  of 

(  !     »r.iCli   CQmjjIO&jr 

water,  forming  a  lake  with  an  area  of  1965  acres  and  an  average  depth  of  16 
feet.  The  company  planned  to  build  a  second  dain  about  100  feet  below  which 
should  have  a  height  of  12C  feet  and  which  would  make  the  lake  formed  about 
12  miles  long  and  3  miles  wide  with  an  average  depth  of  40  feet.  The  cost 
of  the  first  dan  was  £165,000  and  the  estimate  for  the  new  dam  was  in  the 
neighborhood  of  £750,000.  It  was  estimated  that  the  construction  of  the  second 
dam  would  increase  the  capacity  of  the  reservoir  twenty-fold  and  furnish  a  supply 
sufficient  to  irrigate  100,000  acres  of  land  for  three  years. 

The  company  entered  into  contracts  with  parties  around  Crafton,  Lugonia 
and  Redlands  and  issued  to  tneic  what  were  known  as  "Class  A  Acre  Water  Right 
Certificates.  These  gave  their  owners  the  first  right  to  purchase  the  water 


.j.  £JSAH£3S£°£i  .k: 

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ol  ,.iiiiv£d  aaOitt  eia  jiaiflw  lo  jora  eat   ,^x  oj  qu  jnxoaal  ai' 

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.'  ri9$£tt  ^  bitsJ  ijel 

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nj:  aew  isueb  wen  siy-  aol   gj-fsmiJao  and-  b«B  000,261$  as'/r  toBO  J-atil  ah*   lo 
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=rloijjq  oJ  d"^i'i  ^anwo  liaiiJ-  av.i  .T 


(2) 


T*     few     "r-     At     T  i_»         *  1 'l 

impounded  in  the  Bear  Valley  Reservoir  Company's  reservoir.     Although  the 


capacity  of  the  reservoir  was  not  great  enough  to  furnish  over  2,000  minere1 

.  -    -      *  c  ,_  <  *j\Aa  i 

inches  continuous  flow,  the  Bear  Valley  Land  and  Water  Comoany  made  an  active 


campaign  to  sell  a  second  series  of  Acre  Water  Right  Certificates  known  as 

-••   •  . ... 

"Class  B"  certificates ,  and  proposed  to  construct  its  second  dam  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  such  sales.  In  order  to  further  this  plan  the  Alleesandro  and  Bear 
Valley  Development  Company  was  organized  in  July  1890  with  a  capital  stock  of 

'    tfaft  Ai*ar«iiLB   J>a< 

1400,000  and  including  in  its  directorate  Senator  James  Graham  of  New  Haver,, 
Conn.,  President;  Theodore  Clark,  Vice-President j   A.  P.  Kitching,  Treasurer; 
W.  J.  Keacock,  J.  E.  Sinclair,  J.  G.  Clark,  F.  E.  Brown,  John  G.  North,  F.  P. 
Morrison,  R.  J.  Waters,   and  N.  S.  McAbee .     Most  of   these  men  were  Massachusetts 

ir«n,  some  of  them  having  become  residents  of  Redlands .     They  were  reputed  to  be 

.  . 
wealthy  and  to  have  among  their  number  men  of  great  business  ability  who  would 

be  able  to  carry  to  a  successful  completion  the  plans  of  the  Bear  Valley  Land 
ft  V-'ater  Company,   of   which  company  the  new  organization  acquired  2,000  of  the 
total  3,600  shares  of  capital  stock.     The  new  company  purchased  the  Alleesandro 
tract  of  9,000  acres  and  the  Mahe  tract  of  nearly  10,000  acres  and  other  small 
tracts, to  a  total  of  about  21  ,COC  acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Allessandro 
and  !  oreno  on  the  northern  end  of  the   San  Jacinto  plain,  and  on  the  branch  line 
of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  R.  R.  Co.,  about  12  miles  southeast  of  River- 
side. 

••     ••    *«j  _L»  L*   *ar     -  - 

The  Bear  Valley  and  Allessandro  Development  Company  thus  united  in  a 

single   ownership  a  large   tract  of  irrigable  land  of  excellent  quality  and  a 
reservoir  site  which  only  needed  enlargement  of  the   impounding  dam  to  give  a 
greatly  increased  supply   of  water.     The  company  decided  upon  the   organization 
of  an  irrigation  district  under  the  V.right  law  as  tne  most  profitable  manner  of 


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-o^q  odJ1  rfj-iw  nrfib  onoosa  s^i  loui.  -cio  jbiii:   ,  zoi-nsitJL.'rias  "S  ? 

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lo  OB  rfJiw  0981  -{Zul  ni  apw  xnjsonioO  ^nwoqoIsTaa 

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-'i   u~8.v  nam  aeadJ-    to  J-^oJJ     .  aaJAoM  .8  .11  bae   ,9io^£W  .V  .H  . 

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^',S  5aiii,'pO£  .toiJ'r-siiv;  TO  »en  aal   v.t/'i.^^o  riairf*/    ic 
ot.jmiB98l.tA  »a-    beaxuio-tycf  Y«*<?B03  *3«  *dT     .  IjSvflqab  l 

II.t;'3  >n±<   i9ia.e  000,01  ^Iiesn  lo  J-OJBI^  adtfj  aaJ-  DOK  a»i3£  000, 

onbo*  .;  io  Tjlinloiv  ejij  .ii  atal  lo  «si;>fi  000,  IS  tuode  lo  !«*«*  B  oJ, 

9rui  41  ao  bnj3  ,nl£lq  o^niojBL  ns3   9.1*   lo  ons  itts.i*ioa   j.;v    ao  oa»-io  . 

-i»vifl  lo  ^-01  391x^.1  SI  JUOJJB   ,.oO  ,H  .fi  a?  B*eu3  A  sisoroT  ;aosi-i3*A  wt*  lo 


B  iu  5*J-iny  suri*  v  -allA  brus  ;iJT 

a  tm»  x*i^*wp  *nsllacxa  lo  b  ...  lo  Jr-  usl  B  qideisawo  al 

.       -  -  -    -  -   -    -  TT.9K91 

a^  .vsar  lo   X-f*!^111*  aaiayioni   vl,*^r-:i 

lo  lo 


- 


natter  of  «a«ali|Haat.  It  t*£fta  at  MM  t»  Mil  tte  land  IB  anall 
tract*  at  |6C  par  acre  witto  an,  aaniaaant  t»  Jumisa.  aafter,  tte  ccaa  ta  be  f  ipad 
ta  eacfc  1C  aera  tract.  Tte  price  ef  toe  lead  vac  aesa  raised  te  475  and  later 

tAe  coRosznr  aanoejaced  it*  intention  ef  aecariJK  tfae  foroatien  ef  an  irrigation 
district  ta  caver  tte  tract,  bat  ae  October  14,  IS9C  a  special  aaMMHaantt  af 
tte  alej»  af  toe  Baar  Tcllajr  ead  Allesa*n6ra  Cavalapaant  dufuag  far  tte 
tevalapKct  af  ite  jiiap^  Ij  *aa  priatai  in  tte  Uvaraida  Fraaa.    Da 

f.--.    -.    »-    5:,-:^    llHl     «-.e    paKfCM    :i     --=    ::-    irv    » .^    -;    ..i,r    • 
.  L  ? '  r  i : "    :' :  r~  if  i    ". :    _r  :  1  -  ^ c    "—  ;    - 1  ~.  ~  ?    -^._  r  s :  ._  ;  r ;    ~..r  .-. r  ~.      ~. ;  t  ;  *..r.s  r    v  i  v     :  > : : 

adjafedig  ttat  tract  aa  it  adfifit  te  Hiiai^iit  advlaaJhla  ta  izclaae,  arc  tiat 

Valley  Lasd  ft  VKter  Caapa^  vaold  caBtract  aite  tte  ciatrict.  atea  f «rnec, 
-.    -:L1    i-.    7t:    i:rr    •.  , -.    r   .-1=..  tr    ::    v.i    :iv;5    ?    fenes    fr::    teag 
::r    i  .:.     i:re    :;    l^r.-    _-    -~.~    -.i-.r^:'      i".    i    :  :  5  -.    :'    :;!    pa«    :.:re 

af  tte  district  at  tteir  par  valaa.    Tteaa  amter  ri^irt  cartificataa  aera  ta 
aea  inch  ta  f aar  aeraa  and  tte  Baar  Valla?  aid  illanairfro  UnalapawBt 
a  ta  pipe  tte  water  ta  aaca  10  acra  tract  of  tte  land*  aanad  ar  sale 
by  tban,  tte  otter  laadaaaera  af  tte  district  ta  an-M«e  far  tteir  aw  c-       .- 
batica  af  tte  vatar  ta  te  dalivarad  cy  tte  Baar  Tallay  Laad  anl  Datar  Ccagjoy. 


Ite  Baar  Tallay  end  lllaaaaaara  Qwaltpaaat  Ca^pa^f  a|,ra«d  ta  pat  it  tteir 
trifcutice  ayata*  OB  E.OOC  acraa  af  land  ia  tiaa  far  irrigati**  i£  tte  fallaaiigg 

f  cf  1991).    fte  caat  vadar  tai*  plan  «aa  ta  te  |3C  par  acra  far  tte  watar 
and  a  yearly  rental  ef  (5.56  par  acre  alter  tte  canaoaaiaaBt  af  vatar 
delivery,  aa  that  tte  tatal  aniaatl  cterga  par  acra  for  interest  mad  vatar  raatal 
vaold  te  47.36. 

fte  plan  oatliaad  In  tte  ajanaancanant  nmmai  ta  nave  tean  amtiaf actary 
ta  the  owner*  ef  tte  8,000  acres  ef  land  afeiea  tte  Bear  Tallay  and  JUaaaandra 
Development  Canpany  ted  fltapeeed  af  and  atapa  aara  seen  tatea  for  tte  formation 


llama  nx   bii.:-:l  arid"  lisa  oJ-  aarto   j  jl     .  J-n'->,TQoXa /»*,->   "to  is:  .t 

->(/  od1   _  •-    >•:  910J3  i(,q  08$  d-a 

ia  .:  dV$  od"  393X.81  nooa   asw  u  <iJ-   »ia.fi  01 

--  eb/Jin  .luod  fa^u  eeles  vnwia  1.1 .  rl     .91  0€$  b«B  06$  n»v» 

ii  .is   lo  aoitefinol  6ii«    ;  ili^JJi  bt>oituo;i;(Ji   YiJJB'r!'t1102 

lo  laloecra  ja  0681  ,*I  lacfoj-oO  no  ^trd'  td-o«*iJ    sri*  lovoo 

arid-  -is  i   v;unqiaoO  i-awa^olsvda  oib..  -uesa  and-  lo   3«£lq 

-ac  .;!     .asoil  euiaiyviH  ori^  «x  j  .          ^q  8*x  to 

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^5;  ^oJ-   ,  J-o^'tJ-  oifaftaaaallr".  viitnti  etu  ajjulo.ti   oJ-  batnol  d 

Csfli  oJ-  aXo'jJsivba  J-fisuoriJ-  sd  J-rfgxm  tx  3-s  J-ojeirf-  tsdt  &tlniolbts  sbnci 

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"J-  -*"  ,9To«  tsq  0£)  lo  J-aoo  je  J-B  ,  d-oxijaxb  eod-  /u  bn«J  lo  SIOJB 

0."  stew  •-:  -ij-ns'j  i-a^ii  •i3*Js1.*  eeehT     .  eul^v  Tjsq  ixeuJ-  J-B  d-oxiJaxb  eit*  lo 

J-nsaiqoIsvaQ   aiua.;::,?9llA  bnje  ^alifiV  i£93  »;tf  ba  .  itrol  od-  rio.ii   e«o 

^asi  srij-  lo  tSKit   aio£  01  nO£9  oj  •;;.,->•>*  SilJ-  eqiq  ol   ssv 
.iw   'tol  agmjTiB  oJ-  d-oiitsib  eiiJ-  lo  atanwobosX  ieri.ro  eiij-   ,ni8rij- 
.  tr    •        isd-jsW  baa  brxeJ  ^sllsV  *U5e3  yri*  -jcf  bsi3vxlsb  ed'  o*  i8J-*w  end-  lo 

•it     b991^J3  rrv      jjpyj     y9_£XAV    ^j 

rollol  sdJ-  a!  floxd-Bgini  iol  sait  nx  bosl  lo  aaisc  000,8  no  Riad-a 
^-^  J"  10 1   fti=s  ioq  OS|  9d  oj-  3>j«  ;i£lq  axruJ1  is;         k  .00   sii?     .(1961  lo) 

SIOJB  •  .  3|  lo  X-^'I*«X  *  t»i 

'x  -'10    Leu-  3X1*    J-jBrfd-    03 


,:q 
0>1^n':  -IlaV  i.-  5  ertj  lo  <»iQn 


(4) 


of  the  Allessandro  Irrigation  District .  Those  who  had  purchased  land  from  the 
company  seem  to  have  had  entire  faith  in  the  feasibility  of  the  plan  proposed 
and  in  the  honeet  intention  of  the  Bear  Valley  organizations  to  carry  out  the 
plane  outlined  by  them,  and  ae  all  were  thoroughly  agreed  that  irrigation  was 
essential  to  the  development  of  the  land  within  the  proposed  district,  everyone 
favored  organization.  The  Alleseandro  Irrigation  District  was  accordingly 
formed  without  opposition  and  approved  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  on  January 
12,  1891. 

In  November,  1890,  just  prior  to  the  organization  of  the  district, 
the  Bear  Valley  corporations  had  been  reorganized  and  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation 
Company  formed  with  a  capital  stock  of  44,000,000,  and  it  took  over  the  rights, 
privileges,  works,  lands  and  contracts  of  both  the  Bear  Valley  Land  and  Water 
Company  and  the  Bear  Valley  and  Allessandro  Development  Company,  issuing  its 
stock  to  these  companies  in  payment. 

The  land  included  within  the  new  district  comprised  an  area  of  £5,500 
acres,  of  which  1,600  to  2,000  acres  was  of  land  rendered  unfit  for  irrigation 
by  reason  of  its  topography.  The  remainder  was  of  land  of  excellent  quality,  the 
soil  being  for  the  most  pert  a  decomposed  granite.  The  lands  were  bought  by  the 
pronoting  company  at  from  $10  to  $20  per  acre .which  was  a  fair  approximation  of 
the  value  of  the  land  without  a  water  supply  for  irrigation,  and  then  sold  for 
an  average  price  of  over  $60  per  acre.  To  this  was  to  be  added  a  charge  of  C30 
per  acre  for  water  rights,  so  that  the  value  of  tne  land  with  water  rights  was 
estimated  at  £95.87  per  acre.  The  difference,  therefore,  of  from  $75  to  $85  per 
acre  between  theoe  values  represented  the  amount  to  be  received  by  the  Bear  Valley 
interests  for  subdividing  the  land  and  placing  water  upon  it.  Barley  had  been 
practically  the  only  crop  raised  by  dry  farming,  but  with  irrigation  it  was  pro- 
posed to  produce  citrus  fruits,  olives,  figs,  grapes,  and  other  valuable  crops 
so  that  the  value  of  the  land  would  be  tremendously  enhanced,  presumably  to  an 


cnoil  brusl  b»e*rbiua  bjsrl  oriff  e^oriT     . tox-rfala  noiJasi-rtl  oibn.^aallA  eri*  to 
baaoqoiq  juslq  aitt  lo  \HLidi<3Ji9l  vdj  ai  ittial  aiiJfte  b£ii  SVE.I  oJ  moss  Yascmoo 
sftf  Juo  v1^^  °*  enoiJ\ssxnjB3io  ^oIlBV"  1*83  eftf    io  aoi.Ms»nx  i-asaori  arij  nx  brus 
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,J"ji'ijsib  i388oqo7cr  ariJ1  nZAtt-s  bnsl  erij  lo  ^a^raqolsveb  eaJ  o^   LBWftaaaa 
asw  J-oii^siQ  noi^/sji'xil  oibfWB^sIlA  ertT     .«oi^J8Xi«*s-,io  baiovat 
no  aioaivi0qu3   Io  fai»od  eriJ-  ^d  bavonqcr*  b«£  noi^iaoqco  juoriJ-i*  bsnnot 

.1681   ,S1 
iii)  oitJ-  to  noiJ-JssJLmQio  en^  oJ-  'loiiq  J3i/t   ,0681  .  isdmovoH  nl 

sad"  fan*  besinja^iosi  ndei  OJSii  artoiJ-B'ioo'ioo   veiI*V  •mefl 
srf*  levo  ioo*  ti  bna  ,00<0,000«^|  lo  Hoot 2   lexiqjBO  a  dJiw  oomol 
baa  brtflJ  n&IlBV  ni!%d  «i^  ii-J-od  lo   ad-o£iJnoo  Una  abtual   .aiiow  . 
BJi  ijjtluaai   ,  ^njsqmoO  J-nsinqoIavea  oibo/J8saJ[I>i  bros  yoIIsV  nae3  exit  brm 

.  ctaau^sq  rti   ael/iEqntoo  asaril  ot 
002,  SS  lo  seiB  na  o^aiiomoo  ^oiilsib   van  an^  axfiJi'-'/  bebwlsnx  bsxel   striT 

i   tol  Jilnjj  aeiooftdi  biwl  lo  as*  aaio«  000, ^  o^  OOd,I  rioiriw  lo   ,aoio* 
^^^^Il^.ox^  lo  orusl  lo  as*  tebniamoi  eriT     .  xrfq^">3o<roj  eji  lo  noasei  ycf 
vo'  9'iew  r5bnBl  9fiT     .  e^iaBis  faaaocjmooab  ^  d-isa  i-8 

lo  rtoiJ-jBinixoT;T3B  nisi  a  su^r  .-ioiriw,  artoB  ieq  OS$  oj-  01$  moil 
iol  bloa  nori*  bus   .ftoii'jsv.JLinx  tol  yLqcmn  latsu  B  «vwodiiw  fanai  edj-  lo   oulsv 

I* ;ria  B  bebbjs  so'  oj-  a*w  oiiu   oT     .ei3«  aeq  03^  Tevo  lo  90iiq  s^Kizve  n& 
aaw  sJ-riglT  ^9J•B^lir  itfiw  bnal  aaj1   lo   auJjsv  ertf  jfirij  oa  .airi^jn  TSJ-BW  10!  eia« 
rtaq  58$  ot  6V$  moil  lo  ,  9iol«nertt   .soamsllxb  eiiT     .  eio«  ieq  ?8.  20| 

:  ecf  oj  J-nyoaja  oiti"  bsJ'floaenqsi  eeol^v  sseri^ 

iei*..f  ^nxoBlq  a«B  faosl  adj 
-01  ..  i  HOX^JJ  ^ii  iii-xw  Jt;d   ,3nxmisl  Yi6  Y^  faaslBT  qo*io 

eqoTo  sllrjulsv  ^ead•o  bns   ,^90^1;]   , » .  j.  i   , -.ovilo  ,8^11.^:1  sunlxo  eoubo'ia 

,nT8iJ-   sd  b  jrifil  sfit  lo   »i/l»v  a;i*  je/U-  OB 


(5) 


extent  greater  than  the  amount  received  by  the  Bear  Valley  companies. 

Having  secured  the  organization  of  the  district,  the  Bear  Valley 
interests  proceeded  without  delay  to  enter  into  an  agreement  to  supply  the  dis- 
trict with  water.  On  May  6,  1891  an  agreement  fas  made  between  the  Allessandro 
Irrigation  District  and  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  for  the  exchange  of 
51,000  acre  water  right  certificates  (Class  E) ,  each  representing  the  right  to 
purchase  one-eighth  of  a  miners'  inch  of  water,  for  bonds  of  the  district  in 
the  amount  of  $765,000.  The  delivery  of  the  water  was  to  begin  as  the  lands 
needed  and  were  ready  for  irrigation,  500  miners'  inches  to  be  delivered  beginning 
June  1,  1891,  and  an  additional  750  miners'  inches  to  be  delivered  beginning  on 
the  first  of  April  of  each  succeeding  year  until  1899  when  a  final  increase  of 
625  miners'  inches  would  make  a  total  of  6,375  miners'  inches,  the  amount  con- 
tracted for.  Although  the  major  portion  of  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company's 
performance  under  thie  agreement  was  to  be  done  _in  i '  iiturp ,  the  district  at  once 
transferred  to  the  company  {765,000  in  bonds  which  had  been  voted  on  March  7, 
1891.  Under  tne  terms  of  sale,  the  bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  was  bound 
to  build  a  distribution  system  with  a  pipeline  to  the  Highest  point  in  each  10 
acre  tract  sold  by  it.  These  works  would  become  the  property  of  those  who  had 
purchased  the  land  from  the  company  and  those  who  had  secured  the  land  from  other 
parties  (there  were  4,500  acres  of  land  in  the  district  not  owned  by  the  Bear 
Valley  people)  would  have  to  supply  their  own  distribution  works.  The  main  works 
were  all  to  remain  the  property  of  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company,  eo  that 
the  district,  as  an  organization,  would  receive  no  property  of  any  kind  under 
the  agreement  except  the  right  to  purchase  water. 

o  i-  a          r 

The  value  of  the  water  rights  for  which  the  district  parted  with  its 
{ 765 ,000  worth  of  bonds  was  thus  dependent  on  the  ability  and  good  faith  of  the 


I.  aaxiurcfnco  \»II*V  lesS  aril  ycf  bavxaotn  IOUOCIB  eiil  nfiiil  lalae-t^  Inelxa 
/  TjB«j3  a.il   .Isiilaxb  aril  lo  aoxisaxruniia  aril 
~8xi  c.  ol  InamaoigB  ft*  olui  islna  ol  Y*lQb  looriljtw  oebesooitt  al 

;dl  naewlsd   sJafisr  ssw  Irtamasigj*  itB  XPSi  ,d  Y*M  "0     .  idd-J3«r 

lo  eartBtioxB  srij  -iot   ^naqraoO  aoiJ-B^inil  ^ellcV  ixjeS  sdiJ-  brus  J-oi'itslQ 

oj-  J-a^ii  aid-  guinea ertgst  rioee  ,  (S  a««IO)  ae^oilid-'iea  i-.isit  te^aw  STOB  000,15 

rtx  to  abnod  rtcl   (ie^BVlo  rJorii   'aienxm  *  ^o  iti'iiaxa-.ano   eaarfoluq 

abnal  anj  SB  aigecf  of  <wsw  isJaw  oiU-  lo  ^Tevilsb  sal     ,OOOt2dV|  lo  tniiorcus 

-isvxleb  ad  o*  aerioni   '  aienxa;  002  ,  noid'B.-u'nx  iol  ijbJBai  anaw  bna 
no  ^ffjcnni^ao'  i>«i»vil»i)  ad  ot  aariofti  'aTanim  02?  iBrtoiJ'xbbd  OB  bnc  ,  XSSI  ,1 
1*  aaB9io«l  laoi!  B  nedw  9681  lii-ftu  isay  ^flxbaeootja  tiojBa  lo  Ixn^qA  lo  Jaixl 

<B         .    .  ' 

-«;  >TJB  arft   ,  asiionx   'aneaia  5T£,3  lo  IBJ-OJ-  s  esiem  blijow  aerfonx   'sianxiB  3Sd 

s'x-;  .rtoits^inl  Ya-^-^V  ocaS  aril  lo  noiJiocr  iot«n  sal  n^ortllA     .10!  ba^ojnl 

aono  l-o  loiiialo  adl  , jQ'ui'l^l  0£  eaob  ad  ol  aaw  l«amaai:js  oxril  tebnu  aoositnoliaq 

,V  ..  -so  belov  nsacf  ixpa  doiriw  abaocf  nx  000,cd?$  vwcjBioa  afll 

vriBqraoD  noxlflgiail  vellcV  taad  aril   ,  alsa  lo  smial   edl  labrtU     . 
01  •  l89fi§in  a»il  ol  a.illaqiq  fi  tlliar  ra9l~6%{^  noJttudlil^ib  js  blxuof  ol 

bjsri  oriw  aooiil   to  ^tlsq'jir  aiil  amooiad  blijow  aotuow  aaariT     .11  ^d  bloa  lostl 
^a-  edl  baiwoea  bfiri  onw  aaodl  b«B  ^flBoraoo  enl  moil  bius!  aiil 

iftifl  bsnwo  Ion  loxilaxb  aril  nx  iwtel  lo  saio*  002, >  na*1/  artetil)  aaxltjeo 

B)«-  .--a  aifiP     .aafiow  rtoiluol-rlaib  nwo  lisd*  vX«rc«a  ol  evsii  bXoow  (elqoaq 

l«iil  09   .  xnBfiaoO  aoilJB3i-nl  Y»i-C«V  t»eg  eiil  lo  y^eiie^o  axil  nxBmei  ol  lie 

lebnw  bxtii  yns  lo  \;liaqoiq  oa  svxaoan  blt/ow  .fxoilBsifUB^io  OB  aa  .loxtlaxb  aril 

.  talBw  eaarioiuq  ol  Irf^xi  arft  Iqaoxa  ineme&^^B  aril 

eli  -ilivv  balTtJsq  loiilaxb  aril  rfsiriw  tel  alri^it  i&lcw  adl  lo  atflfl'v  edT 
a.;-   l<-  -  0003  bnB  x*-i-t-i-fi  3il*  «o  Jnebaeqafa  si/ill  ^«r  tl»w^  \a  dl-r«»  <3t)6,2dT| 


(6) 


Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company .  The  reports  of  various  engineers  of  high 
standing,  among  them  James  D.  Schuyler,  Jamee  T.  Taylor,  and  others,  made  for 
the  Ferris  Irrigation  District,  lying  east  of  the  Allessandro  Irrigation  District 
and  planning  to  take  water  from  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Comnany,  were  favorable 
to  the  physical  features  of  the  plan.  Wm.  Kan.  Hall,  forner  State  Engineer  of 
California,  was  employed  by  the  State  Association  of  Irrigation  Districts  to 
give  a  report  on  the  Allescandro  Irrigation  District  (as  well  as  other  districts) 
and  in  hie  report  for  this  district  and  for  the  Ferris  District,  he  expressed 
himself  as  being  well  satisfied  that  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  could  and 
would  deliver  the  water  contracted  for  in  the  manner  specified.  So  far  as  is 
known,  the  only  engineer  reporting  adversely  to  the  districts  on  the  details  of 
the  Bear  Valley  Company's  proposal,  was  A.  H.  Koebig  of  Los  Angelea .  Feeling 
entirely  certain,  therefore,  that  the  water  supply  for  the  district  would  be 
forthcoming  as  agreed  for,  the  district  without  hesitation  delivered  its  bonds 
to  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company. 

The  company  carried  out  punctually  its  agreement  for  the  construction 
of  distribution  works  within  the  district,  expending  about  $18  per  acre  on  the 
work.  The  main  line  for  the  delivery  of  water  to  the  district  was  not,  however, 
completed  according  to  the  proposed  plans.  Instead  of  a  canal  with  a  capacity 
of  over  6, COO  inches,  a  pipeline  with  a  capacity  of  about  1,000  inches  was  cons- 
tructed from  !,'ill  Creek,  above  Redlands,  to  the  district,  and  for  about  three 

*.«•£.  ** 

years  a  supply  of  some  700  miners'  inches  was  delivered. 

It  had  been  understood  by  the  public  and  stated  by  the  officials  of 
the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  that  the  funde  received  from  trie  sale  of  land, 
from  the  sale  of  bonds  or  other  values  received  from  the  sale  of  water  rights, 
or  fron-.  any  other  source ,  would  be  employed  in  the  work  of  completing  the  new 


signe  SIJOXTJBV  lo 
10 1  afejsai  ,  aiortfo  603   tioI\«T  .T  aesssl   ,tslxii«o3  .a  aacrOBt  msrij- 

floxjjsjjtnl  oiixiBssellA  actf  to  Jajsa  asi^l  « JoiiJsia  rtoitssxiil  allied 
old  'jxnl  \01IflV  i^aS  ail*  met':  loJMaw  eils?  oi  sninnslq  dm* 

lo  J3  laniol   ,  IXflH  .iaeH  .JSW     .a»lc?  ec?  lo 

oJ-  .;jj9£ji1ttl  16  ctoiJ-BXoosaA   9^*3  sdt  vcr 

(atoiiJaii)  loriJ-o  as  IIe\ir  BJB)  d-sxrt^sia  aoid-B^iTiI  onbnssaoIlA   e^W  no 

baaaenqxo  an  4*oi7i-Bxa  aiins'I  &dt  id  one  ^oxtd-axb  axrit  to'i  *io--si  alii  nJt  boa 

bos  olijco  TjnBqjnoO  noxi"jfj;,iTiI  ^©Il£\T  tjesS  orit  ^ii*  faeilai^fie  Hew  ^nxed  «B  llsafairf 

ai    .       ,  t  c2     .bsxlioecia  iomtsin  ddd1  al  TOl  --ie^ajEii-noo  ia^B«r  ent  isvxlsij  bluow 

lo  ali  .J1  no  ajoi-  -..-ii-  oi1  \lefjiovb«  381*10^-^1  isartiv-ns  \Lsio  eii*  .rtworOf 

3^i.Ma3a     .aelaanA   aoj  lo  ^ideo^  .ii  .A  ae»  ,  Ififjoqoiq  a'^o^rmoO  xa-f^V  teel  atit 

ad  bluow  joxi^gjtb  eri*  lo'i  >{Iqque  ieJ~J8w  eii*  fedf  ,eTol9ToiiJ-   ,nijBi- 
atii.  '   fasiQvlIab  noiJ-jjjxsori  J'uori^xw  Joii^axb  ant  ,iot  baei^js  BA 

.vaaq^oO  noxJjS^xnl  ^elljs1/  icaS  eri*  o* 
.c   tol  ^iiaineeijjs  a^i  ^ll&aj ontrq  *uo  baxnjBo  ^njscmos  adT 

no  eiojB  iaq  81$  tyod£  gnxbasqxe  ^oxi^axb  9£tf  axiUiar  aiio*  noii-tfrfxii-Blfa  lo 
,isva',voa  ,  J-ori  asw  loxitalb  ari*  o*  la^jsw  lo  -^isvlleb  erii-  10!  anil  nxBrn  arfT     . 

^i  cu:  laauo  B  lo  i)3a^8fll     .  SiUJlc  baaoqoiq  9*1*  ot  gnibioooB 

-cnoo  .)0, 1  j'uocffi  lo  \HoBQB9  e  rftxw  snilaoiq  u  .sationJ:  000,5  isvo  lo 

a  •  10!  bus  .i-oiid-axb  ea*  ot  .abnalbsH  evoiis  ,XeeiO  IfxM  aoil 

.  baisvileb  gflvp  issrioax   'aia.txm  OoV  amoe  lo  Y^Q08  A 
lo  aJDsxoillo  aa*  ^cf  bsi-fii-e  bus  oJUtfiirq  »il^  \;cf  boo^siabnw  n-sacf  bsri  *1 
,bosl  lo  alaa  an*  moil  bavxaoai  3bnul  edt  J'BiU    yn>  .oxj-ej-.xiil  vall^V  teeS 

to  eifls  oii^  moil  b»vx809T  no0I«v  larflo  10  a&nocf  to  0lBa  arid-  moil 
w  ^   lo  Jlio*'  a.ij  nj  -^w  , 


(7) 


dam  at  the  Bear  Valley  reservoir  in  order  that  the  company  might  be  in  a 
position  to  fulfill  its  contracts  and  deliver  the  large  quantities  of  water 
represented  by  them.  Instead  of  so  doing,  the  company  distributed  large  divi- 
dends to  its  stockholders  and  did  comparatively  little  towards  carrying  out 

It  y\8  ••.**'<.;'  ^133  Cai .  38*^'  'tnat  V:*  I 
the  work  according  to  its  agreement.  During  the  eight  months  from  January  31, 

1893  to  September  30,  1893,  for  example,  the  company  expended  $286,374.54  for 
construction  and  improvements  to  plant,  and  distributed  $202,350  in  dividends. 
D.  E.  Meyer,  of  Riverside,  who  is  now  the  largest  landowner  of  the  district, 
states  that  about  $900,000  was  thus  distributed  in  dividends.  As  a  result  of 

C-a'/ilirf:    .  -Of  --"'?     'it..v:r        3x:i-     ?f    ".Off     /Ol<?el8f»  ,     k*-x 

such  mismanagement,  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  was  forced  into  bank- 
ruptcy and  a  receiver  appointed. 

&  •'  •.  \ 

For  a  short  time  the  receiver  continued  to  furnish  the  Allessandro 

Irrigation  District  with  a  small  quantity  of  water  but  about  1895  even  this 

supply  was  cut  off  and  the  district  was  left  entirely  without  water  for  irri- 

Ncj^f  r-f  -:,.-.-  Rivers?  id«  County  Fvts<,r  ;,er  ..c-ir,  .  .".  .  .  .'•-$% 

gation.  During  the  period  when  it  was  confidently  believed  and  expected  that 

the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  would  furnish  the  district  with  an  adequate 

water  supply  cajiy  settlers  had  come  in  and  the  community  had  grown  rapidly. 

'<('..  iriiiy  <>}  ?:  t  .  '  ">:.*tc-.  .'•  *  .  2.r»  r,tui  teft.fi  ;  >!'•  «or  u  •_.•.«" i  •.* n,  tfit  dX£' 
There  were  about  ICO  families  in  the  district,  two  poet  offices,  six  schools, 

and  a  thriving  community  seemed  firmly  established.  About  4,000  acres  of  land 
were  planted  to  orchards  and  vineyards,  the  remainder  of  the  land  being  devoted 
to  raising  wheat  and  barley.  Land  values  had  risen  to  about  ('125  per  acre. 
The  failure  of  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  and  the  shutting  off  of  the 
meager  water  supply  eoon  afterward,  discouraged  everyone.  People  moved  away 

from  the  district  and  took  their  houses  with  them.  No  taxes  were  paid  and  from 

7  is*  tux*  •-.:.-•.  •..._  •.;„:••..  j-'-e  ••'.-.••**  iuHkg  t«us   i.-:t-c '»•,-.  of,  Xfc«  dia*.ri-rf.  *•*• 
1895  on  no  interest  was  paid  on  the  bonds.  Inasmuch  ae  no  practical  value  had 

been  received  for  the  bonds  issued,  the  people  felt  that  tne  bonds  should  not 
be  paid  and  organized  a  defense  association  to  fight  against  the  payment  of  any 
part  of  tne  indebtedness  of  the  district. 


a  ax  du   -d^ira  ^osqtaoo  SiiJ  ;b  i  to  ui  lioviyaei  usILaY  teaS  ed*  J-« 

Ho  aaiJ-iJ-iifciio  a^-isl  &-U  'xavlleb  b«£  s*o*ru«o3  aJx  Iliilt/l  ot  noxJxaoq 
-xvxb  agT^I  btJuJiileii)  ^fuscrmoo  saj  .aaxcb  os   to  bes-faa!     .meitt  x^  beJcwseiqan 
Juo  ^rux*1"1*0  QiruivroJ  eld'til  x-leviteTUKjcroo  bib  ban  sieblorlilooJa  ati  oJ  abneb 
,X£  Y161^^'"  '"^oil  artfacmi  Crisis  8^  ^«xiwa     .j-a»naei^jB  all  o^  atibiosojs  aiow  e^t 
10:  fr5.*VS,d8S$  ijaonaqxa  xas^00  8*l*  t»Iqs»x»  tol   ,  SP61  ,0£  T8dmaJ-qd3  oi   £681 
,aba«i)ivib  ai  026,20^  bsJ-usfxiJ-sib  b«fl  .Jiwlq  o^  e^naa»/oiqc!i  orts  iioxi-yu^snoo 
,JsxiJ-3ib  8ii?   lo  leawotiatsl  *3-j^U8l  »nJ  woa  «i  odw  ^bienovifi  lc   ^exeM  .3  .1 
'to  Jli-svi  «  «A     .abrjsbivib  .ii  bs^udxiJ-sxb  au^iJ-  a*.w  3CX)t30ei?  iuote  itsdt 
»oiol  3fl»  •<jnscmo-'J  aox^jsgXTiI  xelJJsV  isaS  er 

.be^tixoqq*  levxaoai  u 

9f\i  rtaxaict  o^  bet'riiJ'itco  levxaoai  e;tf  ariJ1  Gloria  a 

tf  nevs  e63i  J-uocfa  Jud  i»d-J8w  lo  Y*^"*"?  Ile^a  JB 

iol  -id^BW  i'yoiii'iw  vl^xJne  J-l&I  a^w  i-oxijaifa  e»il  ba»  llo  tuo  aa* 

beJoeaxa  oas  osvsllscf  Y^n9°-t^noD  8-fi*  ^^  astiw  boxTsq   out  ^nlnud     . 

a*  a^iw  ^oxid-aib  sd^  daimul  bLaow  xf**'?"0^  aoitB^xml  Y«IIsV 

oTj  b«d    /tJcnucunoo  oitf  bas  ax  aaroo 

XX3   .asoillo  J^oq  owi^   .^aiT^axb  era  fti  asiiinuBl  001  J'trod£  eisw 
to  33'xojt;  000,^  JuodA     .beiiaxI^J-as  X'&fl'1-il   bane  a  3  ^d-xnwramoo  -^livi-iiU  a  bna 
be-ovei)  yoisd  bxtsl  aat  lo  TaboxB^ai  anj'  tzbisi\&niv  bafl  «ibnBrioio  o*   ba^oalq  9T9W 
.  9TOB  is»q  5SI;  J-uoJa  oJ  flaaxi  bjed  aeuLsv  ba«J     .\9lifd  bos  j-jaed 
lo  lie  ^rti^uas  srit  bos  xn^^oU  00x^3x111  YoiLsV  oesa  sri*  lo 

bavoa 

moil  boa  fciflq  srte*  ^QxsJ-  oH     .mertJ^  ri^iw  aeauori  ixsAT  Xoo^  bfl£  i"ji*tJaxb  Qd4"  moil 
b^d  euiBV  Ls-'ilJOj-iuq  on  ac  iioi/masnl     ,  sbaocf  &oj  no   bljsq  8«v  t39idJni  on  no 
i'oa  bluoiis  abfloo  »a^  i-aaJ1  Hal  alqo&q  e*if  .bswasi  abnocf  saj  IQ\  bevxeoei 
'  Jri6ffl\£q  ertfr  -•  :  'i3£  senoleb  B  «9$.ift,e3io  bns  bisn 

.1:  ..    to  Baenbaj-ddbnx  e.i^  lo 


(8) 


Following  the  failure  of  the  dietrict ,  certain  bondholders  attempted 

•r,  t:;t.  .-,''' <*,irs  ef  the  csiTmct  »*i*«  t-nis  *.j*9^r*u\I?  •«*..x,l*:1  --•:'•-• 
to  enforce  payment  of  the  bonds.  The  matter  was  brought  to  trial  in  the  case 

of  £ time on  v.  Alleeeandro  Irrigation  Dietrict,  which  was  decided  by  the  Supreme 
roni'f  t*r«  --oU-  v:  ir.s?  ?.*-*r  V'-.l.'oy  Irri^.;?  tion  . -wip*.:-  to  •nWJjr  £1. : >-rt-r.\.  ?au--,i*ei. 
Court  of  California  in  favor  of  those  who  were  contesting  the  validity  of  the 

bonds.  It  was  held  (135  Cal .  389)  that  the  £765,000  bonds  were  absolutely  void 

because  they  were  delivered  for  a  consideration  not  permitted  by  the  terms  of 

; : :  ?i  -I'-'r  :  •  i*D  iii  t-K»  infue  <v  *;;£  bend  a  t  '.•*:«:  tiis*  tv*y  wart  *"  i  ..icct*rj,  -•:"••'••  --••«?  TV 
the  Bright  law  and  because  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  never  delivered 

more  than  one-ninth  of  the  water  contracted  for.  It  was  also  held  that  the 
t.-.*rt»fer*  /nn  «ubj*at  t&  *.        •#  e?  ji'^ulf  1»  J.*nt  -*>w  ili<- _..»"  *«««icflre*i«n 
later  receivers  of  the  bonds,  the  First  National  Bank  of  Redlands,  the  Columbia 

Savings  Bank  of  Los  Angeles ,  and  the  Citizens  Bank  of  Los  Angelee ,  had  notice 

when  they  purchased  and  received  the  bonds  that  the  law  governing  the  issuance 

f  rou-  t  ri- ".   ',•-*:'.?"  *  p$.   \s*rj'*"  >  •  r*  !•  •'  /  ' :'  ri  'Vf  *'  !>-"•/  •••    " '?  •* 

of  the  bonds  had  not  been  complied  with,  and  that  since  Stimson  had  received  the 

coupons  upon  which  the  suit  was  brought  with  knowledge  of  the  transaction,  the 
bonds  were  absolutely  void  and  uncollectible.  Following  this  decision,  Judge 
Noyee  of  the  Riverside  County  Superior  Court,  decreed  on  November  28,  1899, 
that  the  district  had  never  in  law  existed.  This,  however,  was  not  deemed  final 
and  in  19C5  the  directors  of  the  district  began  proceedings  to  determine  the 

validity  of  the  proceedings  which  had  been  held  for  dissolving  the  dietrict.  An 

_--.;;- •?:••.<**«  •;  *»«  'tr****? ,  OrftRg?*  •«*£  .»"*.i»t.  ;•  *..  >'  * '•  •  -•-«•  '  **c  .  T •*  •"•'rtly  «ti«y 
election  was  held  on  April  29,  1905  to  determine  whether  or  not  the  district 

fhould  be  dissolved,  its  indebtedness  liquidated  and  its  assets  distributed,  and 

•  •>  r  ,-•*"'•.•«.?••'  'i  •  •*•     -  -;  '.    *  '  r-   ',"  • 

by  a  unanimous  vote  (28  votes  cast)  it  was  decided  to  sell  the  land  of  tne  dis- 
trict and  dissolve.  The  indebtedness  was  computed  to  be  $9,638.81  and  the  land 
owned  by  the  district  (about  20,000  acres  taken  for  non-payment  of  taxes)  was 

'.  *  *-i  :  , 

sold  at  public  auction  to  D.  E.  Meyers  for  $9,883.10  or  less  than  $.50  per 
acre.  The  outstanding  indebtedness  being  thus  disposed  of,  the  dietrict  was 
declared  dissolved  by  Judge  J.  S.  Noyes ,  Superior  Judge,  Riverside  County,  on 
September  3C,  1905. 


bo*  bbio.tbnoJ  aiaJ-neo   ,  Jsx'Waifa  sitf   io   s~iuxjst  ariJ   ^ni 

0  Isi'iJ   of  id-^uoid  33*  IQJJBB>  enT     .  sbnoa   octf  to  j-aQiDyaq  so'iotns  of 

-   i{d  bebxoeb  saw  aoxiiw  ,  Joi*tf«xa  rtoxJaaivxl  oabafiassIiA  .v  noamiJS   to 
s^iJ   io  v.-  •'  e*i-    ^njL^adlaoo  8T3\?  Oiiw  ssoiij   to  iowsl  nx  axmo'txJJsD  lo  J"n;oO 

Oiov  \lrtuLo9dB  9i8W  abctoJ  000,5dV$  eti^  tsdi   (^bE  .  LeO  6£I)   blod  SBW 
to  sfflt^-    oiii'  yd  oad-jxuiibq  ton  noxj"fliefaia.'ioo  s  iol  ooi&vxlsb   919* 
^a'lsvxlsb  T&VO«  x;iu)qiiioO  noxJegiTiI   velJjsV  ifle3  srij-   aaiJJcosd  one  we  I  W^ 

;   J-BiU  olori  oaljs   saw  d-I     .lot  fasJ'afl'iJ-noo  teJ'jBw  aril  to   ciJrjxit-s.io 
;  oaJ-   .nbnslba.P   to  ^nen  iBnoxJ-B/i  J-Bix'l  dtiJ   ,aano^  9i"iJ  lo   a'l 

bed  ,  aala^nA  soj  'io  jineS  ansji^xO  aiii  bnfi  «  aalsi-.nA  aoJ  16 

a^  ^nxma/oa  «B!  a*V  Jen*  aonod  o^  bsvisosT  JOE 

JbavxeoaT  i)*ra  noemUS   aonia  ^Ba^  i)ae   ,riJx/r  faexlc/aoo  ne-jJ'  Jon  b*ri  abnoo'  aiij-  to 
aJ   ti.  fieti  8fil  to  ;i;i  a^xv  J'liyuoid  af'7  4"iUB  onJ  rioxfinr  noqu  anoquoo 

83bifL   ^oxsiosb  aiaiT  .gax'volloi     •  aUxJosiloon,.   bne  oxov  \Laiui2atiB  aie»  abnod 

,6          ,        •iscfmsvoVi  no  baeioeb   .J-iuoD  ioiiacu3   ytnuQ^  sbxBTevx^  oixt   io 
Itmx  i   barnaab  i"oa  aew  .lavssron  ,  ax.iT     .  baJ1  aixs  wsl  ni  navan  b*ri  i-oli'aib  aril 

arid"  a)  .  .j  oJ"   3;5nxx>9O30iq  «A-^ocf  joxi^axo  aaJ    to  aio-omxa  snl  £061  ni  bus 

nA     .J'oiijaib  eiij-  ^flxvloaaib  lot  blea  naod  b£ii  rioxiiw  a^nibsaooiq  en>  to 

j-oiiJ-gxb  oiii'  Jon  10  -isrijeuw  enxmaJ'^b  oJ1  2091   ,  9u   fiiqA  no  blaii  z&v  .lo 
boe   ,b-,  .xb  atasea  a;x  bnii  be^soxupil  aeonbai-^obax  eJx   .bsvlonaxb  ed  bli/oria 


-sxb  sri*  to  bnjsi  sdl  Ilao  ol  babxoso  BJSW  Jx   (taBo  aajov  8S)   a«ov  auoaiaenu  B  \d 


dael  s.ij1  bn£   IS.SSd,?^  eel  oJ-  lied-uqmoo  BKV  oeeabsJ'dsbnx  sriT     .  avIoTjx.H  brte 
tow  (aaxa.fr   to  ^aamysq-mon  lot  nejUJ  aeTOB  000,  Oi;  j-uo^fjs)  loxij-^ib  orfj-  ^ 

^yq  02.5  nxt.tJ  ^asl  10  01.888,?^  not  aiaijaul  .2  .3  oJ-  nox^oua  flifdwq  j1*  bloa 
w  jo.  ant   ;  to  bseogsib  eurti  ytxad  esonbelJabni  jnxbttaJ-eJ-jJO  ariT     . 

sbxmavxH  t  s^bL'I,  "loxiaqt'S   ,  aaxoH  .3  .L  a^bi»l  vd  bsvlo^axb  b8n/>Io 

.5061  ,D£ 


(9) 


Although  the  affaire  of  the  district  were  thus  apparently  settled  once 
and  for  all,  the  bondholders  have  not  accepted  the  decisions  as  final.  The 
bonds  were  sold  by  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  to  many  different  parties, 
some  of  them  being  residents  of  other  countries,  and  it  is  claimed  that  these 
parties  were  purchasers  in  good  faith,  for  value,  and  without  notice  of  any 
irregularities  in  the  issue  of  the  bonds,  and  that  they  were  "innocent  purchasers" 
rithin  the  meaning  of  the  law  dealing  with  negotiable  instruments ,  and  were 
therefore  not  subject  to  the  defenses  of  insufficient  and  illegal  consideration 
which  had  been  set  up  against  the  parties  to  the  suit  of  Stimson  v.  Allessandro 
Irrigation  District.  Parties  holding  bonde  to  the  amount  of  over  $500,000  have 
brought  suit  against  the  district  on  the  grounds  above  stated  and  the  cases  have 
not  yet  (1911)  been  decided. 

Until  the  cloud :  which  the  heavy  bonded  indebtedness  represented  in 
these  suits  places  upon  the  land  titles  within  the  district,  is  removed,  the 
district  will  labor  under  a  heavy  handicap.  About  500  acres  of  land  are  now 
being  irrigated  with  water  brought  from  I'ill  Creek  but  the  users  of  this  water 
have  expressly  agreed  that  the  water  right  shall  remain  in  those  from  »hom  they 
purchase  the  water.  Oranges  are  raised  on  this  irrigated  land.  The  only  other 
crop  of  importance  which  is  now  produced  within  the  district  is  barley.  Land 
if?  said  to  be  worth  about  $40  per  acre ,  but  were  the  question  of  the  bonded 
indebtedness  finally  settled,  the  value  of  the  land  would  doubtless  be  much 
higher.  Until  a  final  decision  is  received  as  to  the  standing  of  the  bondholders 
who  claim  to  be  "innocent  Purchasers"  the  future  of  the  district  will  continue 
uncertain. 


.v,  .  _A 

.aaioe  OOC«3  BwiA  -  2661  ,XG  \-u.W!UJt  basing-*}  -  \inuol)  aaXa^nA  aoj 


t*  sXJUittooi  «4Tur  sooJU  baJjRDoX  ap*  Jsi'tfaxa  aoxJfiaxTtl  BSO^BOTK  wiT 

ijn      .  ,o  j!59#;i,!-uc>3  Ss.-X.Lv.  5  i  yea's   »A£6lie;V  jqoXaJrtA  lo   a^be  marUrv/oa  en* 

,H  .H  sxliafcl  e3  on*   lo  anil  euJ  no  enaxJ-eJs  iiJ-od)   aXjBOKiX*;^  "io  Jaaw  a&Iiffl  6 

^..  aiii-  oi-  ani^O     ,M  d6  .3  .d  .3   «*ae^  £1  SaXtMH  .-.ttion  3  qinsn^oT  ni   («.oO 

lo  liJ-nao  eui  ox  si  Ji  «j3n^  isivjijii  sl^J-il  B  3-t   ILs'taiJBT  o«^   sIIiiHJ-ool  a.ii"  lo 

bxca  si  Ji  bne  «oi^«^xiii  -tuoctfiw  ^«»jiw  aeiKi  od"   sldiasoq  si  tl     •  ^ 
artf   lo  aoiJ-^siflBjjio  edJ   o^  ijiil     .ii3s.iuoll  Ili^  abivRrto-io  yn^o   ooog  d 
»J-..  .      .      .  wSiij-aib  e.iJ"  aLnJ'iv  ^i>t9i;bfii   ea*   -i&w  %nisl.Bi  ^o4«.  . 

dii-'oas  o^  iaeiiaeb  x*^*  O«B  eaiii  JjBjtf  J'JB  booriTOod^idn  arid'  ai  sia&'ii't  lo 

9-i^1  wsiv  ni  bne  axa^1  rfj-iW     .taerf'v  oj-  noiJlbfaje  «i   ^ijnidJ'  io*ito  eei^T   o* 
on  8£#  eisrJT     .5P81  ,IS  v1*^"^^  no   bssiosr^o  YllBrti'i  hni    O^BOPOIO 

.j'oxijBib  sui1   'to  rtoiJ'.fMHiot   34J" 
B  d'nafinii.&v&D  srfJ"  motl  be^aa^Bq  bn^X  bd^yv 

flii^  oa   ,.oO  .K  .fl  oiliofi0!  aier{^u.o3  enJ  \3  ben-A    ooeJ  ajsv? 
.36"  •     blari  vtiE-pHoO  JBOOI/Y  enT     .a&ic*  OS£  'io  061  lo  BJiau  nz   xXa^ial  aie* 

eitf-no  94"»v  on  bed  \eiiJ'   991000   to  tud   .aJ'oai^   s^teX 
-alb  &.  /  oJ-  faewoXIe  naecf  b*a  ^arfj  'tx  vX^JBdoi4!     . 

isq  OX?  Jooj£  J-B  bXart  a*w  ortBj     .basxrtfi^o  nssd  svrri  i-on  bluoo 
3^*w  lo  eoiuos   a    tx  dnj?X  skif^JLiii  aj;?*  ^oii^axo  eiij-ng  9;»T 
j-uo-js  J-nioc  B  J-/»  tfafliO  eso^tfsaA.  stit  mtsb  of  baeoqoiq  aaw  fl     .bnuol  scf  U!JJOD 
-uuj   £  aguotrii'  Taj-jaw  arft  ^evnoo  bna  y»XXsv  sdj'  oJ  aoftfiana  s^i   svorfs 
qoiqif.Biui  at  w  iae-io  aii^   "io  leze-a  stif  aA     .J'ox'iJ'axb  artt  o^*  jjnoX  eXlm  «j  ^ 
esw  Jx   ,  ariJriom  nstomfjg  'idJ1  ^nxtufa  ijeXI?'/  stii  iii  mil  ^O.T  bib  raueeiJE  ariJ-  bos 
erij  no  boXxl  s/sn  oJ1  a.«»  toii*aib  arid"  bap  a^risxi  es^rfoawq  eJ 

taora  atiJ-  ne  -leriO  eot  bitB  Xri«a  nriol   ,  I.UwG 

on*  oJxn  m  •         ^abxvoTtq  >jafti-  one  S-aii^-nxfa  eri^   lo 


(2) 


lines  and  estimated  the  cost  of  the  proposed  works.  It  was  found  that  the 
vater  supply  obtainable  was  not  large  enough  for  the  district  and  that  the  ex- 
pense of  securing  it  would  have  been  prohibitive.  Accordingly  when  the  bond 
election  came ,  opinion  had  veered  around  so  that  even  the  promoters  of  the 
district  were  convinced  of  the  wisdom  of  discontinuing  operations  and  tne  bonds 
were  defeated. 

The  district  had  no  litigation.  It  has  no  outstanding  indebtedness, 
no  organization  or  activity,  but  is  not  legally  dissolved.  Its  failure,  or 
ratfier,  its  discontinuance  as  an  active  concern  was  due  to  lack  of  feasibility 
of  the  nlan,  which  was  fortunately  recognized  in  proper  time.  The  district  had 

•  **  •    I   •-•«•    - 

no  effect  on  the  prosperity  of  the  comnunity.     ifce  expenses  incident  to  surveying 
had  been  oet  by  Swall,  Dahl  and  Charbonnel  and  the  district  never  reimbursed 
them.     Things  went  on  just  as  before  until  the  drouth  of  the  later  90' s  forced 
many  people  to  move  away  from  the  section,  so  that  even  at  the  present  tiroe 
conditions  in  the  district  have  not  improved  much  over  those  of   twenty  years  ago. 

..-.  :•>-.  tiisfiad  afc*r«fcolaere  of  ti*e  'Jr.isn  «<»t?r  CMQXU^T  I*lt  tkat  Ut«  n?«    .1^   :: 
i.2  •.'••,. or.   f  A,  '  .  fti-vs,    tiers  •?.  "*:  •-••"-  .  •    ',:  r.-.n*    r  ^ -•ci".i:rv.r    :xd    of   fce'-^ir-^ 


,         . 


-?   ielt 


. .  sm  o 


.r  jarid-  btmol  saw  *I     .  a:iri.  oaonq  9i#  lo  Jaoo  »UJ  bsJemxJea  fan* 

-x  r   brie  J-oiilaib  eai-  to'i  ii^upite  8311*  I  *o«  a*sw  altonxflJcfo  *{Iqqua 

.  tvij-lcfiitoir;  nsaa'  averf  bivov  ii  ^niiuose   'to 
jwortq  sat  n«v&  tjt.cuT  os  fanuoie  i>sT9ev  txeti  aoinxqo   ,  arrtBO 
rfT^qo  ^nxuniJ-nooaib  ^o  mobsjhv  e>ii^   'io  bsonivnoo   s-isw 


,a,!    .        :'3b«x  jrtioafiJajuo  oa  ai:d  J~I     .aolif^t^l.i  on  oi.il  loivaib  eriT 

loaaxi)  x^^J^-t  .  i"on  ai  J-i.--'   ,  Civile.*:  TO  noiJ-jaBxiuj^-vo  on 
'to  aoel  oJ"   auo  a/?'*  mooaco  SVXJ-OJB  OB  ejf   son-.-uai  Jn  :  osxb  scrl   .'jertJ'fiT 
SiiT     .  en:xj  iwcoiq  ai  buxxn^oos'x  x^^^^'^"10*   3-1  |V  "3iii's  iiwItJ  eilJ"  lo 
oi1  ^  .^x&  art:     .  \;i-xr;iif.-tioo  wil   lo  ^.ti'iiv^aoiq^  saj  co  J-oelle  on 

be^.'      .     .•    •        •;  •^oJt'rfeJEb  eri*  »«£   Ienaca'teri.0  bii£  Irisu  ,  JI^wS  \tf  ^era  need  ixt-ri 
beoiol  a'oe  79J-.&I  eiit  tc  eri^    CiJnt   e-io't&cf  s>  J-«ur   nc  ^«e>"  e^niiiT     . 

srij-  Ifc  neve  0-ariJ   oa   .nojtjoee  sriJ  noil  -^J8*£  OVOK  o^   &iqet>q 
lo  s^OiU    levo  iiouui  L>svoic,anj;  Jon  Qvsri  j-ox 


ANAHEIM  laRiaVTION  DISTRICT. 

,'  -s;     -  ,::  '.  -, 

Orange  County  -  Organized  April  1,  1889  -  Area  33,000  acres. 


etoak 

'":  .  -•   I  :'-cr.  tv  <••.,/:  it         .   . 

The  Anaheim  Water  Company  was  organized  in  the  late  'sixties  and 

delivered  water  to  a  number  of  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Anaheim.  In  1876 


*•*  <*.  la^dhnlc        .  . 

the  Cajon  Canal  Company  was  organized  and  supplied  water  to  lands  west  of  Yorba. 

Both  of  these  companies  took  water  from  the  Santa  Ana  River  and  in  1878  the 
Anaheim  Water  Company  bought  a  half  interest  in  the  Cajon  Company  and  began  to 


..  "  - 

take  its  water  from  the  Cajon  ditch,  each  company  paying  half  of  the  expense  of 
maintenance.  The  Cajon  Canal  was  completed  in  1879  and  land  under  it  doubled  in 
value  .  In  1884  these  two  companies  consolidated  and  incorporated  as  the  Anaheim 
Union  Water  Company  with  a  capital  stock  of  $1,200,000  of  which  7,000  shares  were 
issued  at  that  time.  Landowners  who  had  expected  another  rise  in  the  market 
value  of  land  after  the  consummation  of  this  consolidation  were  disappointed  and 
many  became  dissatisfied  with  the  management  of  the  Anaheim  Union  Water  Company. 
In  1887  the  Wright  Irrigation  Act  passed  the  State  Legislature  and  the 
dissitisfiea  shareholders  of  the  Union  Yt'ater  Company  felt  that  the  new  plan  of 

organization  furnished  them  a  means  of  bettering  conditions  and  of  securing  water 

'  -  '  ?ja  'iv         *  •>*  ' 

at  a  cheaper  rate,  although  the  charge  had  previously  been  merely  sufficient  to 

cover  running  expenses.  Accordingly  a  movement  for  the  organization  of  an  irri- 
gation district  under  the  Wright  law  was  begun.  The  Anaheim  Union  Yiater  Company 
only  covered  12,000  acres  at  that  time  and  it  was  felt  that  by  building  storage 
reservoirs  and  improving  the  canals  of  tne  company,  a  much  larger  area  could  be 
served.  The  Yorba  settlement  was  entitled  to  a  continuous  flow  of  SCO  miners' 
inches  and  it  was  felt  that  if  this  section  could  be  included  in  the  district, 
their  right  would  merge  with  the  other  rights  of  the  district  and  the  section 
around  Anaheim  would  not  be  obliged  to  r«main  subject  to  a  prior  appropriation 
by  the  Yorba  people  .  A  third  motive  for  the  organization  of  the  district  was 
the  desire  of  the  small  landholders  to  have  more  influence  in  affairs,  as  under 


.:•  '     "• 


300  ,££ 


4  1  Lcnqj  \dm- 


9«orii  to 


\tTjp(^troO 


essr.i- 


bi  .  xle'    sJ^I  9ftf  ni   fc<  -.   stw  vneemoC 

H:  .  lA   lo  boorfiodrigisfl  sri*  .  I^ee  lo  -isdiaun  £  oJ-  tetew 

[  oj-  I»;|MBW  b«ilcreira  farts  bssxtt^io  arw  liatiqincC   ijerteO  not£0 
eci^-  SVfcl  ni  i)tv  teviH  BiiA  J?trtB-i  eri*  tr.cil  'ivi£'t.<  Xcot 
o^  bni'  'iRBqirioG  noi/iO  en^  fij   JBO'xi^tTi   ll£irf  e 

lo  ;  eilJ1  lc  llea  ^nlyfic  \nBqa< 

ni  bnjp  T  bn«  9V6I  ni 

iris.  .J-  a^  beJ-jeioq*to:j;ii  bn£  be-^xlonnco  eeJtru-qaioo 

8  ''JO,V  rfoiiivj   lo  000,002,  X;   lo  jfoota  j>^iqjso  R  ritiw 

i-Bi.-  .    ox  oei-:  lari^oru;  beJ-oeqxe  Sixi  orfw  snafiwobn^J     .  amiJ- 

b&>'  .  .'3ic  ST9Y/  noiJ-r  bilosnco   sJ;€fr  to  aold-Bmtit'ajTco  s^j-  Te-l 

rcoJtnt*  miftJienA   en'J   'to   tneiifejjBKBm  siit  ritiw  3sz'l3i*B83Xb  arrujsocf 

3j  9j-f;i3  erf*  bea'asq  J-oA  nolfe^iiil  iAgtia  adj  V88I  «I 
lo  oelq  wan  enj  J-^Uu   vfl&l  xfusco:oO  ictfiitf  noiflU  e.^  lo  anebloiirusAa 
lo  bat  ancxi'iiifico  ^niisJ^e-   lo  gnfism  js  coDilJ-   b.uiexmt.'l 

x-C6'1^'51  «^ad  xloijoxvai'q  jjsri  o^iiirio  6ii*  ri^L-OiiJlj:   ,  sjei  leqeatis  B  ie 
-XTIX  njs  lo  no  iif,  s  iiws^no  stii'  10!  ifiaciovom  £  ^l^fixbiooor.     .  soenecxs  jninnui  -evoo 
-v  «oinU  (nxeiifcitf.   eiiV     .ra^aa'  a«w  WE! 
-i   xo  J"--'!* 


isj-JsW  noxnU 


lo 


J"x  bite 


leJbiu;  -oiijexb  n 
000«S1  ofaievoo   \Irto 


lo 


fc  lo  w«Il  eucwiiirico  JB 

J-  rsx   bebyloni  scf  biwoo  noid'oee 
1*  bae  Joxijsxo  e;ij   lo 


eri 


&t;  jsa'ioY  «rfT     .  b 
J-Jo'l  asw  jx  to*   oerioni 
03^6m  blpow  ^iisi'i  ixeril 


.c  i-.   oJ"  Jo 


of  csgilno  scf  ^oa  blifow.  mlaosnA 


.  elqoaq  £cfioY  erii1 


(2) 


the  Anaheim  Union  'iVater  Company  the  large  landholders  held  the  majority  of  the 
stock  and  controlled  the  company. 

Of  course  the  Yorba  settlers,  from  whom  it  was  proposed  to  take  away 
a  valuable  water  right,  were  violently  opposed  to  the  district  and  voted  against 
its  organization  unanimously.  Likewise  the  large  landholders  who  held  the 
controlling  interest  in  the  Anaheim  Union  V/ater  Company  did  not  wish  to  lose 
their  control  nor  did  they  wish  to  have  the  valuable  water  rights  which  had 
been  acquired  and  vhich  were  held  for  the  benefit  of  their  land,  made  appur- 
tenant to  an  area  two  and  one-half  times  as  great,  and  they  were  strongly 
opposed  to  the  formation  of  the  district.  These  parties  obstructed  the  pro- 
ceedings for  organization  in  every  way  possible  so  that  a  year  was  spent  in 
securing  the  approval  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  to  the  petition  for  organiza- 
tion, but  this  end  was  finally  secured  and  the  Anaheim  Irrigation  District  was 
declared  organized  April  1,  1839. 

The  district  included  33,000  acres  of  which  3,000  acres  of  land  lying 
adjacent  to  the  river  was  not  suitable  for  irrigation  or  profitable  cultivation 
on  account  of  the  sandy  nature  of  the  soil.  The  district  was  about  17  miles  in 
length  and  at  its  widest  place,  near  Anaheim,  was  7  miles  in  width.  The  Cajon 
canal  was  the  northern  and  the  Santa  Ana  River,  for  the  most  part,  the  southern 
boundary .  The  land  was  splendidly  suited  to  irrigation  and  much  of  it  has  since 
been  irrigated. 

James  D.  Schuyler  and  K.  Clay  Kellogg  were  employed  by  the  district 
to  report  on  the  nature  and  cost  of  the  work  necessary  to  improve  and  enlarge 
the  existing  system  of  the  Ananeim  Union  \Vater  Company  (which  system  it  was 
proposed  to  purchase)  in  order  to  make  it  cover  the  entire  area  of  the  new  dis- 
trict. ~.'r.  Schuyler  reported  in  favor  of  improveiients  in  the  system  as  follows: 
(1)  reconstruction,  relocation,  and  extension  of  canals  and  ditches,  and  lining 


ertt-  to  \^.  •  .  •:::!  artJ  \ai;qaio^  i&-i<;:  «ox;iU  mxa»i 

.  'tfttK-fljoo  saj-  csIlciJ'noo  O«B 
•^J.  vie  as»  SI  fl:ori#  c-oii    .tnali^ba  ^cf'ioY  SA^  eeiuco  10 

K  joxr-j-alb  SiU  o*  toSBOqqo  xJtta&Ioxv  eiev  ,*n^xi  -luJew  aJcfjpi/Xev  JE 

.j:=l  anj1  ocxwe^iJ     . 

I  o«    .i;iu  jo«  iub  ijaBqmoD  tej-*iS  noiaU  mJ:Oiii.!£U   6  rid1  ni 
tioxiitf  a^Kaxa  'Je^*,if  ela'ajjlev  9iij   evjsa  ot  risx-v  'ieriJ   i.xii  'ica   Icionoc 

oixei:.   ,buj&l  ixftffei'  'io  Jili-neJ  euJ  iol  Jalau  wiew  lioxiiw  bati  ieixwpae  neacf 
itoija  eiew  xe*-^  ow;   ,^813  s*  aaaxii   ljjaa-s«ci  cite  ow«   £t>ie  rus  oJ"  Jncnej 
-en,-  s.ij-  aejaijijaJo  3exJ-i*q  eaeuT     .joia^axi  aiii   lo  ncxjjsfl.icl   oiU  o*  iuaoqqc 

fix  3i,tf  isex  £  ^rl^  oa  sWiasoq   \evi  \ieva  ax  ricij^sxfiu^'io  10! 

-f  slrttgio  10  1  noiJ-xJ-eq  fefi*  ot  Bioeivi8qu3  'to  bilsoa  end-    io  Isvoiqqjs  edt 
8JE17  tsJLtieiQ.  ftoxj-jssxiil  mx6»iie«A  atid-  one  \ljj9nxl  3i;w 


ttl  to  ssioi;  000,2  rio*riw  'to  seioje  CX)0,tcI  fasfaxiicni  ioxid-eisj   sa 


aolxm  VI  Ji/ocf^   ae\y  ^oii^oXfo  oriT     .Ixca  *&}  'to  oiujcn  'tbnez  odd-   Io  jnt-ooojs  nc 
.  a^fcxw  nx  aelxn--  V  BJBW  .miarijBnA  iBtf!  ,  -jojslc  Jeebxft  a^x  J-JF.  bn«  xij 


Io  riown  crt£  nojjr^jtTix  oJ  bsJ-ii/e  Tj^fa-to^s-t^s  8#w  ijri^I  eriT 


J-oiiJcixi)  eiij-  '{g  be^olqcs  aiew  ;  £0  .H  bn-o  tfelTii/fiai  .u  eessel 

:  bae  BVOIQBIX  o^  ^o.-  .  jiiow  ou^  Io  J-ROO  ojtjc  hiutEti  »ilj-  no 

at-  ^^\^  j.oi:;iw)  .  noxnU  niootoA  9iif   io  JCO^SY 

.'ae  efi)1  levee  fi  sj&cj  oj1  isaio  «x   (daeffoifq  oJ  faseoqoiq 
*c   ^ov£'t  «i  ins^'joqai  ^^Jx*'fi52  .li.'     ,^oirs^ 

OOlSI    ,aOXrfOA,"Lt8«O»S'3    (1) 


(3) 


of  sane  with  cement  or  asphalt;   (2)  draining  of  the  sub-flow  of  the  Santa  Ana 
River  above  the  head  of  the  Cajon  Canal;   and  (3)  construction  of  two  storage 

reservoirs,   one  near  Yorba  to  cost  $27,500  and  impound  51,392,700  cubic   feet  of 
Tfc€   iAtiner.3*   9f   tfc«   :i.n'ri-- ;,  :ly    .! -4.-% -;t-r      -t-a^    ta  ft:;v*   £;•* /er  ^c.   tfc«  Ti;«>ir' 
water,  with  a  dan  45  feet  high,  about  700  feet  in  length  on  top,   and  about  300 

feet  long  at  the  base ,   and  one  in  a  basin  of  the  La  Habra  valley  about  one  mile 
beyond  the  end  of  the  Cajon  Canal,  to  cost  $42,000  and  impound  118,238,000  cubic 
feet;  the  dam  in  this  case  to  be  60  feet  high  and  625  feet  in  length.     Both  of 
these  reservoirs  were  to  be  supplied  by  the  Cajon  Canal.     The  total  cost  of  the 

~   ~  ,  .  .  .V'U«  " 

extensions  and  improvements  recommended  by  Mr.  Schuyler  was  estimated  at 
(311,805.54. 

In  order  to  acquire  the  properties  of  the  Anaheim  Union  V.'ater  Company , 

-    -    v  *  i  I  .,"'-•*<•. 

the  district  voted  bonds  in  the  amount  of  $600,000  on  :,',ay  3,  1889.  The  directors 

then  attempted  to  sell  these  bonds  but  were  not  successful.  A  second  board  of 
)-r  a?rs,  Ih«  lar:i  i«  ic  v*2~-^~s,  orw&gaB,  *»«CR»,  *-"«*;  cutar  irt'i^e'.*   .M-.pa. 
directors  was  elected  and  they  continued  the  efforts  of  their  predecessors  but 

with  little  success.  An  offer  of  90  cents  on  the  dollar  for  $300,000  in  bonds 
was  received  from  Geo.  L. -Arnold  of  Los  Angeles,  but  it  was  stipulated  that  the 
district  should  pay  the  cost  of  examination  of  the  district  by  engineers  and 
attorneys  and  the  cost  of  delivering  the  bonds  in  London,  so  that  the  actual 
receipt  would  be  less  than  90  cents  on  the  dollar.  Other  propositions  were  made 
but  the  directors  were  steadfast  in  their  determination  not  to  sell  the  bonds 
for  less  than  90  cents  on  the  dollar,  actual  cash,  and  the  sales  did  not  go 
through.  The  district  had  been  in  operation  four  years  and  the  only  results 
obtained  had  been  the  expenditure  of  about  436,000  dollars  and  the  creation  of 
much  bitter  feeling  among  the  people  of  the  community.  Two  directors  unfavorable 
to  the  district  were  elected  to  the  board  at  the  third  election  and  they  did 
what  they  could  to  obstruct  the  sale  of  bonds.  The  climax  cane  when  a  meeting 
was  called  by  the  opponents  of  the  district  and  it  was  decided  to  refuse  to  pay 


.(-• 


(S)    J 


MO 


arsta  lo 


.    j  oy*  lo  flo-WovUenoo  (£)   bos    ;IencO  co^sG  stw?   Jo  bawa  <*a.-  evocft-  isvifl 
to  J-'j  -o  OOV,i:eS,Ifi  bca/oqcu  biu*  OOS,?S;$  ^ecc   c4-  jed'ioY  '^sn  ono    . 

00€  Si          .  -J-;   ,qoi-  ftc  tit^n*!  ax  J&ol  00V  ^'odjs  ,  rijjii 
elirn  bito  Juo  J>  ^9JI*v  s'iJf.H  «J  3*1*   lo  fiiej»d  £  oi  sac 
i^i-'o  0      .      .  ,611  a;u;cqiril  bnj>  000,i»^?  4'eoo  o*    ,  Xfcutfc^  iio|,30  6iw    lo 
'to  ritfoS     .riJ  u  *a©t  fiie  bn*  d^iil  ^osl  Od  ed  oi  SB^-O  siiiJ-  ni  nrjsb 

dd'  'lo  *8oa,  Ltfej  aril     .  le^JiO  notsO  8iii  ^c  boxlcq/ae  oa   o-    aitw 

ii:  b&v  s  3£v?  i&l^i>xi9cl  .  lii  x3  bbbfiaiWiicobi  eJflanievoiqa'.x   fam, 


.oifi.U  mxarftii^   art*    Ic   :iojtiii«qc>jq 
88I  ,£  ^pi;;.  ao  000,006^  l 


oi'  'latiio  til 
aonod  bsjov  -roi 


lo  £ 


bncosa  ^. 


*  .  .  i$s 

a-i  is  yd 


tx&aj  lo  3 
nol  'toIIoJo 
s  B        -± 


eiaw  i-ycf  s=!b«ocf  eeanj   Use  oJ  btf 
od*  beufii^aco  ^feiu!'  bjtr.  be^oele  3 
no  a^nsa  08  lo  it'llo  «/,     .eseooye 
elsjOf.   aoJ  lo   tiori'i/v  .J  ,  otn)  monl  Jbovxaoet 
lo  fioij£nxa£xs  'to  ^?co   drij-   -^q  blvoria 
Is(.  j-  d-fijTU"  OB  .aofanoj  oi  abncd  erii-  gniiovileb  lo  -soo  aiU  bop 

a"j(»w  .iq  le^JO     .'ttJlioc  o4J  flo   3i'«90  OC  iwtij   83Sl  ocf  bli:ow 

ebnod  arid-  lies  cJ  j'on  noiJjinif'.ieJ'eo  iit>uff  «x  jaf^bj&eJe   siew  e'io«roeii& 

ton  bib  eeles  eai  bae   ,deu<d  IBUJ-OB  ,i£lXoo  &iiw   no  sanao  Og  isx-uij- 
8J1U3&T  ^Iflo  aitf  un£  BiBe\  inol  noij«ieqo  «x  naed  b*:ri  j'oxiJexfa  snT 
c  no;.  bn£  aiplleb  000,36^  tuftfc  lo  ^b^ibnsqxs  sii*  neea'  faatt.  bc 

-"xxu  owl1     . 


rij-  j-s  a-i 


il,?  oj  b&joals  eiew  dfoxiJslb 


.-oqc' 


(4) 


taxes  levied  by  the  district.  They  attempted  to  secure  an  injunction  which 
would  prevent  the  levying  of  a  tax,  but  through  some  technical  deficiency  in 
the  injunction  issued,  the  district  wae  not  prevented  from  levying  the  tax. 
The  influence  of  the  unfriendly  directors  seems  to  have  prevented  the  receipt 

of  any  further  offers  for  the  bonds  and  it  became  apparent  that  nothing  was  to 

A  -ji   •>  irr*:.,,si.  .'.',.•.  -'soviet 

be  gained  by  continuing  longer  under  the  district.  Accordingly  proceedings  for 
dissolution  of  the  district  were  commenced  and  a  decree  of  dissolution  was  ob- 
tained from  the  Superior  Court  of  Orange  County  on  September  12,  1895. 

Since  the  dissolution  of  the  district  the  Anaheim  Union  Water  Company 

T-  t 

has  been  managed  in  a  very  efficient  manner  and  has  carried  out  many  of  the  plans 
proposed  for  the  district  so  that  at  present  it  has  a  very  valuable  and  efficient 
plant  under  which  about  15,000  acres  of  land  are  being  irrigated.     Land  within 
the  district  is  worth  from  (300  per  acre  up,   some  having  sold  as  high  as  $2,000 
per  acre.     The  land  is  in  walnuts,  oranges,  lemons,  and  other  irrigated  crops. 


ric/xrfw  no-Uynutnx  «£  eiuoss  ot 
fix  ileb  leojtitrfoe*  acioa  a'a^ertd*  ^tra   ,  x/J  £  lc  ^ 


^  b6a•ll£.V8^q  svtii  o^  amaba  sio^osnic  vIunoiTlniJ  odf   to  aoniullrti   »r!T 
a£  on  J-BiiJ1   Ij-ieifc-qc*  smeoad  ii  brie  abnco    JiiJ  lo'i  mtTHo  i*titi>j\  YCJE  ^° 

egriioeeD'-  ai^ooWi.     .Jaiijeib  aiiJ"  'leoni.  fu^«ol  ^r..Lt;ni*ne5 

-do  8ji.v;  ftoiJ-^Joeeib  'to  ueioeb  n  DM  beonaaiitrco   aifcw  l:jJnj=!ib  trii    to 
,S5i  todmoj-qsS  «o  x^nuoO  o^osiO   lo  nut.  :it 


3.tBlc   erii"  lo  ^naai  tftfo  bei'it*?  o  atfl  un*  loniusai  ^neiojlla   \^ev  a  ni  Jbeyftneir  neacf  aeri 
s  bms  eld^iiltv  \T£»V  B  as  a.  ti  tnotteiq  te  isfa   oa  j^x-v^eiti  *ii^  tol  baeoqonq 
bneJ     .b6i-£3i*ni  ^nied  »i*>   biiusl  lo   ae^OJB  000,  cl  jucds  aoxnw  lebnu  J'rtiilq 
000,  S$  at  rfgifi  8j->  Lloa  ^nivsri  siroe    .qw  eios  Teq  00£§  moil  riJ"iow  «ii  J-oxn^axfc  erii1 
.  aqoio  ooj'igi'wi  n«rijo  oru;   .artcicel   ,88.3«£TO   .e^LTJIsw  nx  ex  bnel  eiiT     .  eioa 


PROPOSED  AZUSA  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT . 
Loe  Angeles  County. 


tf-A  petition  for  the  organization  of  an  irrigation  district  at 
Azusa  to  be  known  as  the  Azusa  Irrigation  District  was  filed  with  the  Board 
of  Supervisors  of  Loe  Angeles  County  on  April  1,  1889,  and  dismissed  by  them. 
Vineland  Irrigation  District  objected  to  the  organization  of  such  a  district, 
probably  because  of  the  fact  that  both  districts  would  have  attempted  to  get 
their  water  from  the  same  source,  the  San  Gabriel  River,  which  would  probably 
have  proved  inadequate . 

The  vote  on  organization  had  been  181  votes  for  organization  and 
111  against.  The  opposition  was  largely  from  the  parties  who  already  held 
water  rights  and  who  did  not  care  to  relinquish  their  rights  to  the  district 
so  that  they  would  have  only  the  same  right  as  the  later  comers. 

A  second  petition  was  dismissed  by  the  Supervisors  on  June  1C,  1889, 
A  third  petition,  like  the  previous  ones,  was  not  granted  and  the  plan  of 
organizing  a  district  was  abandoned  July  28,  1890. 


.  v-]M  it-. 
.   ;  .itA   soil 


is  .:  •          it  noiijssiiiJ:  rte   lo  noxtesxataio   »fU"  id  ncx.fxJ'eq  A 

s.Sj-  rij  il  8jB,v  JoiiJexd  noxd-jsaxvil  JOUJSA   srij  G^  fiii'onrf  scf  od- 

nJ'  xa>  fcteaitraib  a«£   ,  0881  ,1  XiiqA  nc  Y^^^oO  aslejftA  eoj  lo  BToeivieqyii  lo 
JB  iioua  Ic  fioxj-jssij-ut-vio   eri^  o* 

^.  r    evfiri  fclfow  ed-oiidsib  ridrcf  tedJ  Joel  eriJ-  lo   aaujBoecf  Y. 

clLOw  floi;iw  ,ievxE  Jeiio'jBi)  «je2  ed*   ,  etf'ix/oo  OO-JBB  artf  moil 

.  srf*ijpeo*rd  faevono   sveri 

bfifi  r<oi>r^?:xft£;>'iO  tol  3&tov  ISI  nees  iu'n  nciJ'.esxfie.ric  no   aJcv  ertT 
bled  \b£a*!l.A  oaw  eai^ijsq  eri^  nioil  xlaguel  BJEW  noi^ieoefco   9dT     .j-e<ii«3«  ill 
toi-i^eifa  erij1  oj-  ad'A'jiiT  "sisrij  riGii/pnilei  ol  en^o  ^on  bxL  oa'w  i»fi«  Biri^ii  TS^BW 
.ataaloo  loJfil  eai'  se  jr-giT  OS&BB  edS  ylnc   avfih  fclt'ow  y*^*  ^*ai   os 
,9881  ,01  em;!,  no  8r:oeiviequ3  eaj    y^  bt>8Bxir:axb  s*w  «oxJ"X^eq  fanoaes  A 

to  fifilc   anj  bn>-   bs^ii^i;,.  Jen  BJB*  ,  seno  etioxvein  erii'  e?txl   4noxJ-iw&q  biJtuJ1  A 

.0661  ,8S  Y- 


BIG  ROCK  CHF.EK  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 

» •*•-*•    i*  -  /-  ^  -       .-   *.  - 

Los  Angeles  County  -  Organized  July  14,  1890  -  Area  30,000  acres. 
rr*v*..'.   tnx-        '.*?u;..:.-.-  U  >•*•*  t«  o  .»/»  irrii-t:'^  ciatrlct. 

Previous  to  the  organization  of  the  Big  Rock  Creek  Irrigation 
District  the  only  parties  resident  there  who  had  patented  land  were  the  Carters 
(J.  Y.  and  E.  F.)  .     They  had  claimed  4,000  inches  of  the  flow  of  Eig  Rock  Creek, 
a  quantity  far  in  excess  of  the  usual  summer  flow.     In  December,  1889,  George 
W.  Korean,  Lewis  C.  Tilghman  and  F.  E.  Schroyer  came  in  and  filed  for  2, SCO 
inches  of  water.     In  May.  189C,  the  Uadre  Land  and  Water  Company  was  organized 
in  Los  Angeles  with  Geo.  L.  Arnold,  Arthur  L.  Church,  George  Bugbee,  John  H. 

V<?  "  ) 

Pohlhaus  and  Sarn'l  D.  Beacher  as  directors.  (The  connection  of  Geo.  L.  Arnold 
with  this  company  is  significant  as  he  was  also  a  prime  mover  in  the  floating 
of  the  ','anzana  Irrigation  District.)  This  newly  formed  company  acquired  the 
rights  of  Tilghman  in  Kay,  and  those  of  Uorgan  and  Schroyer  in  June,  1890.  The 
water  rights  on  the  stream  were  thus  claimed  by  the  Carters  and  by  the  Madre 
Land  and  V.'ater  Company.  Tilgnman,  in  his  deed  to  the  above  named  company 
specifies  that  if  an  irrigation  district  be  organized  which  will  cover  his  land, 
the  company  is  to  be  freed  from  an  agreeajent  to  furnish  him  with  sufficient 
water  to  irrigate  a  quarter  section,  which  was  made  part  of  the  deed.  It  seems 
evident,  therefore,  that  those  who  were  acquiring  the  water  rights  under  th» 
title  of  the  Madre  Land  and  Water  Company,  had  in  view  the  formation  of  an 
irrigation  district  which  would  be  in  the  market  for  water  supply  and  to  which 

•  "'   •' '"  Vi  *••   r^n*   '   ife"  ;  •»  -  -  -•  * 

the  water  rights  acquired  as  above  might  be  transferred. 

The  above  information  is  derived  from  the  records  of  water  filings, 

deeds,  etc.,  and  is,  therefore,  undoubtedly  authentic.  It  is  also  said  that  in 

^»e.  US     '1     £     f-     3     SL-';.c       .184  "      *     *9  u 

1889  an  English  Company  known  as  the  Southern  California  Land  &  Irrigation  Com- 
pany, Ltd.,   of  London,  England,  undertook  to  build  a  dam  on  the  stream  and 
actually  began  work  of  excavating  for  a  dam  site.     It  is  claimed  that  the  settlers 


•1  :MEf:I  XZiK  vtOpijR   CM 

OOQ.OE  csiA  -  0€6I  ,."     fcl    L  beslaf^iO  -  ^Jnt'oO  atla^rtA  aoj 


x-rrl  ;iosiO  rioof!  s-^S  sriJ    io  aoi^jpsifus^no  end-  ctf 

extJ-  sis-*/  fans  I  befrie^jsq  ojsri  oriw  sieh*  i-nscxsai  asi^i^c   \Irtc  ariJ  ^cxij 
jtoofl  yxci  'to  -we  1-1  erf*  Io  aecioiti  OOQ,^  itemielo  aert  yexiT     .  (.'€  .a  bms  .i  .1) 

,  P881  ,7ed«to36C  nl     .wo.fl  lamentm   Xewau  eiij   'to  esocxs 
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.  ba-nslertiiii-  stf  tsi^im  evoo'B  OB  beiijjpois  sJ-iiax 
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jl     ,  &.  <  B  id  xe  'io  jJiow  «ui^«cf 


(2) 


feared  that  this  company  might  secure  a  monopoly  of  the  water  supply  and  to 
prevent  this,  thought  it  best  to  organize  an  irrigation  district. 

Ae  a  result  of  one  or  both  of  these  causes  the  movement  for  an  irri- 
gation district  was  started.  J.  H.  Call,  Attorney  at  Law,  of  Los  Angeles, 
California,  was  one  of  the  principal  organizers.  L.  C.  Tilghaan  was  sent  in  to 
assist  in  the  organization  of  the  district  and  the  district  was  voted  by  people 
who  did  not  own  patented  land.  In  short,  the  district  was  colonized  in  order 
to  get  enough  voters  to  organize  the  district. 

The  evidence  secured  on  this  matter  of  promotion  is  very  conflicting. 
Those  who  were  resident  in  or  near  the  district  at  the  time  of  its  organization 
claim  that  J.  H.  Call  and  others  organized  the  district  as  a  land  selling, 
money  making  scheme,  while  Call  and  those  who  are  said  to  have  worked  with  him 
claim  that  the  district  was  organized  entirely  by  and  for  the  landowners  who 
were  living  in  the  district.  From  the  fact  that  the  Madre  Land  and  Water  Co., 
of  which  Geo.  L.  Arnold  was  a  director  and  to  which  L.  C.  Tilghman  had  trans- 
ferred his  water  right,  sold  to  the  district  for  $75,000  in  bonds,  a  water  right 
of  very  doubtful  value,  it  seems  exceedingly  probable  that  the  interests  named 
did  organize  trie  district  as  a  land  selling  scheme. 

The  district  as  organized  comprised  30,000  acres  of  wnich  about  10,000 
acres  was  creek  wash  and  not  susceptible  of  irrigation.  The  land  in  the  dis- 
trict was,  for  the  most  part,  worth  only  the  government  price  of  (2.50  per  acre, 
for  there  was  and  is  a  great  deal  of  government  land  within  the  district  not 
filed  on.  The  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.,  also  had  apparent  title  to  a  large 
amount  of  land  in  the  district  but  much  of  this  has  since  been  recovered  by  the 
Government  (see  U.  S.  v.  S.  P.  R.  R.  Co.,  184  ".  S.  49;  and  S.  P.  R.  R.  Co.  v. 
U.  S.,  163  U.  S.I).  Although  the  actual  value  of  the  land  was  very  low,  the 
booaiers  "cracked  it  up"  to  from  v!5  to  tlCO  per  acre  .  The  land  was  held  in 
email  holdings  of  about  160  acres.  A  very  small  area  was  being  irrigated  at 


(sj 


OJ  ,3  tofBW  ad*   lo   v.Xoi;  oatfoes  trivia-  •yputqa.'i'O  eiriJ 

. JsxiJeib  woi^-jiiiJ:  njs  esin*a*jo  oj  Jaeci  Jx  jri^oiU   ,  airiJ1 
si  us  dtrevom  adJ"  Bbaifjeo  oeenJ   lo  ftfoa  10   anc   lo  JfcBei  *>  8* 

,a  .    aoj  lo   ,  vrej  Jfi  ^emcd-JA   ,11*0  .  ri  .1     .  baJ-'ued-B  3*<w  Joi-tfexb 

lo  e»<o  e*w  tjBin 
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,.oO  oil     .c^•f)i^J•8Xb  sutf  fti  ^nxvxl  tnew 

/.   BJSW  blom/.  ,J  .oeO  rioiriw  lo 

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banen  ;j~«x   aru  istii  elcfjedaiq  xfcn-i:^eooxe  Btnss^  J'i   .auJjsv  luli'dwob  \nov  lo 

.  eraarios  jnxll&e  bflf-I  B  a*  ^oxiJsxb  911$  esinjB3io  bxb 
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.     .  ..e^OBTC"  eiamcorf 

.i 


(3) 


that  time  by  the  Carters,  probably  about  220  acres.  People  who  came  in  to 
settle  planted  trees  in  the  expectation  of  securing  water. 

Almost  immediately  after  the  formation  of  the  district  (August  21,1890) 
the  water  rights  owned  by  the  Madre  Land  and  Water  Company  were  sold  to  the  dis- 
trict for  the  sum  of  $75,000  in  bonds,  and  on  the  day  following  the  Carters  sold 
their  rights  to  the  district  for  a  like  sum.  Judge  J.  W.  McKinley ,  Superior 
Court  of  Los  Angeles  County,  confirmed  the  bond  issue  and  declared  the  above 
transfers  legal  on  October  25,  1890. 

The  district  did  not  employ  a  professional  engineer.  J.  h.  Carter 
did  some  surveying  for  the  ditch  lines,  etc.,  and  the  people  of  the  district 
were  allowed  to  work  out  their  taxes  on  the  construction  work.  Except  for  a 
few  ditches,  no  constriction  work  was  done  by  the  district  until  some  time 
after  organization  when  a  tunnel  was  undertaken.  This  tunnel  was  to  be  run 
underneath  Big  Rock  Creek  and  catch  the  sub-flow,  but  through  some  error  the 
tunnel  was  not  constructed  in  the  right  place  and  failed  to  accomplish  the 
desired  end*  It  is  said  that  the  contract  price  for  this  tunnel  was  something 
like  $40,000  or  $50,000  in  bonds.  It  had  a  length  of  2,600  feet  and  is  said 
to  have  yielded  60  inches  of  water.  The  original  plan  of  the  English  company, 
which  had  preceded  the  district,  was  to  build  a  dam  and  impound  water,  but  this 
the  district  was  not  financially  able  to  do.  It  is  possible  that  had  this  been 
possible  an  adequate  supply  of  water  might  have  been  secured, for  the  big  Rock 
CreeK  has  a  very  heavy  winter  flow. 

Just  what  amount  of  bonds  was  issued  it  is  hard  to  determine.  In 
addition  to  the  sums  received  by  the  Carters  and  the  Madre  Land  A  Water  Company 
($150,000),  it  is  known  that  M.  L.  Wicks  received  $2,000,  F.  A.  Alterger,  $20,000, 
and  A.  L.  Church,  f 11 ,100.  The  total  amount  voted  was  $400,000.  It  is  tnerefore 
certain  that  $133,100  were  issued  and  it  is  probable  that  $40,000  additional  were 
transferred  on  the  tunnel  contract,  making  a  total  of  over  ^220, 000.  It  is  said, 


orfw  eXqoel     .eentojB  OSS 

.  led-aw  ^niiuoes   io  n.c-x^Josqxe  urti  «x 
6J,  IS  *ews*M)  tetitB-tb  9&t  lo  afliJwte 

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i.J-  oj 
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ai  bns  tsel  OOd.i:  lo  ri^suel  £  b«fi  JI     .swioa  ni  000,02$  -*o  000,0^1  wij 
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eJcdJ-  i-wtf.  .TQ^AW  bnuoqrr.x  fa«j?  laab  ^  fcliwd  oJ  aB»  ,  jniniftib  sfi*  foebsomcr  wsri 
need  eiiii-  bed-  Jsrid-  elc'leacm  si  *I     .06  o*  elcte 

s»d  .e.rij-'"tol,;beii;oofi  neeo  ev«ri  d-fiaiis  nejjBw  lo  ylqque  s^jsypafaj?  ae 


.  6ft±r;:'J9j6&,  C*  fai^ii  si  Jx  beueeJ:  BBW  Sfe«o4  1&. 


.      .  ?   ,000,$$  bsvxeoeT  e^oiW  .J  .M  *&dt  nwora   ex  Ji   ,(000,0$!$) 
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-r«r  00'.  i-JEri*  fi^JBJ-x^o 

_ 


also,  that  the  directors  issued  bonds  rather  freely  for  other  purposes  so  that 
it  is  very  probable  that  the  entire  amount  disposed  of  was  considerably  in 


excess  of  $220,000. 

'uti  ft'  «»r 

The  settlers  within  the  district  did  not  meet  with  very  good  success. 
They  straggled  along  for  a  time  and  then  conditions  were  radically  changed  by 

•'  . 

the  activities  of  Howard  and  T/ilson  of  Chicago.  They  bought  up  a  large  amount 
of  land  in  the  district  and  by  means  of  advertisements  in  a  farmers'  magazine 
known  as  "Farm,  Field  and  Fireside"  were  able  to  dispose  of  a  large  number  of 
small  tracts.  This  company  seems  to  have  acted  in  absolute  good  faith  and  to 
have  done  everything  in  their  power  to  protect  the  settlers  whom  they  had  thus 
induced  to  come  to  the  district.  In  the  second  half  of  the  decade  1890-1900, 
however,  a  series  of  years  of  extremely  light  rainfall  so  reduced  the  flow  of 

-  ''   **"'*   V*f"tr^"  '  t         1  ' 

Big  Rock  Creek  that  no  water  was  available  for  the  irrigation  of  the  land  and 
the  people  had  to  leave.  Of  a  colony  of  200  or  300  people  only  a  handful 

regained.  People  could  not  and  would  not  pay  assessments;  the  district  officers 

ifl'r  -  • '  • 
gave  up  their  offices  and  everything  was  allowed  to  lapse. 

No  interest  on  bonds  has  been  paid  by  the  district  for  almost  twenty 
years.  Very  little  interest  was  ever  paid,  if  any.  All  obligations  are  still 
outstanding  with  no  prospect  of  settlement.  There  are  a  few  settlers  in  the 
district  now  who  seem  to  be  doing  well.  Aside  from  the  physical  difficulties 
of  settlement,  however,  the  extremely  tangled  condition  of  land  titles  within 
the  district  prevents  development  from  progressing  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 
Kuch  of  the  land  was  and  is  claimed  by  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.,  and  the 
United  States  Government  also  claims  the  same  land.  There  are  numerous  tax- 
titles  for  state  and  county  taxes  standing  against  the  land,  and  last  but  not 
least,  there  have  been  numerous  sales  for  non-payment  of  irrigation  district 
taxes.  It  is,  therefore,  well  nigh  impossible  to  be  assured  as  to  the  owner- 
ship of  land  within  the  district  and  the  value  of  the  land  is  not  sufficient 


oe   •=  $  lanJo  lot  \Ieail  sbnod  owsai  sio^oeiib  en* 

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Y.icj'0£l3xJB8  xs  ni  anlBFje'j^oic.  ooil  i«amqoIsvsL  RJ-ftsvsicr 
?   ,.        .,  .-*•..' I'ldx'ea-  8fi^   vrf  bftnri*Io  ex  hue  e*w 

:.  -T     .bnjsl  eniee  9rt^   eraijslo  oele  unanimsvoa 

ton  Oii^  ^aiix*^  gnxbnu^a  aex*J-  y^w^^o  iJ"^  e^^^a  *xol  eeli-tfr 

jnuj v-teq»no«  lol   selfce  Bt'Ciamuft  nsod  sv*n  etertf   4 

: 
jj'ij-  oxtWxar  brusl  lc  c 


to  warrant  the  expenditure  of  the  sums  necessary  to  clear  up  the  title . 

The  present  settlers  are  irrigating  about  300  acres.  The  water 
rights  are  not  well  defined  and  it  is  said  that  shotgun  law  is  the  rule  on 
the  stream.  L.  C.  Tilghman  claims  to  have  riparian,  appropriation  and  other 
rights  and  he  seems  to  be  in  control  of  toe  situation.  It  has  been  found  that 
the  land  of  this  district,  like  that  of  the  Little  Rock  Irrigation  District 
ten  miles  to  the  west,  is  especially  well  suited  to  the  production  of  pears 
and  were  it  possible  to  secure  an  adequate  water  supply  by  storage,  tne  lands 
of  tne  district  might  be  brought  to  a  high  state  of  productiveness . 

While  the  cause  of  tne  failure  of  this  district  was  the  entire 
inadequacy  of  the  water  supply,  the  nature  of  the  promotion  and  management  of 
the  district  was  such  that  even  had  the  water  supply  been  more  satisfactory , 
it  is  doubtful  if  the  district  could  have  succeeded.  It  is  quite  generally 
conceded  that  the  district  was  fraudulently  organized  and  the  unbusinesslike 
methods  employed  in  carrying  on  the  affairs  of  the  district  were  such  as  would 
in  all  probability  have  caused  failure  in  any  case. 

The  district  has  never  been  disorganized,  nor  can  it  be,  for  the 
heavy  outstanding  indebtedness  is  a  bar  to  such  action  being  taJcen. 


suites  l&r  the 


of  citrus 


'to 


;.u;8   and1    to  aijj^  i^nsqxe  erit   tax  tin*  oi 
•ni   9ii  aiwJWuea  Jnesaicr  sri? 
no   slin   ati.fr  ex  we  I  mf-^oris  JsnJ-  bloa   ax  Jx  farrB  be«xleb  IXew  Jon  e*uB 

•iqaz    ,  .  o«    Qii«i£lo  funmri^IJL"  .0  .J 

aari  *I     .noj  an*   Ic   loi^ooo  ni   »d  oJ  emoea  eri  o«« 

_L  Sooii  sIJ-^XiI  8ftJ  lo  Ja.iJ  sjiil  .toii^aio  aiiU    lo  bn«I 
vonq  an*  o^  bs^JLue  Hew  ^ilBi 
«vJ   ,  i.-     •       .  \;d  ylqqua  lyj"**  ej«upeto  oe 
.3swevi.  •  to   b.jjr'dB  li^iit  JE   o^ 

-J-  a*w  JoxtjEib  3JLCiS  lo  eiiilial 
ns  nol^ojnoiq  ea^   ic  e'luJan   aaJ 
aiom  nead  \Iqqua  'tad'aw  arii-  jatsd 
j}  e^itp  ai  d1!     .oeueeooija   •  .uvo 

?UJHJM   «ii^  bite  be  :  t  apw  jr/injsli)  &&$  tedf  jjefaeoooo 

no  ^ni^"*3  n 

ii;!  fceet/BO  evfiri  xJ-iliderfoiq  HJB  nx 

if  *rol  ,aJ  J~i  n£0  ioft  ,  fass  JuiB^Tpaxi)  need  i^ven  8«ri  ^oii 

of  led  e  ex   esenfaeJiebni 


*: 


ei   .i-aaw  sat  oj   eslira 

ct  slcxaaoq  Ji   WTOW  brus 
o    ed  J-ii^ir.  i-oiiJ-eJtb  ettf   lo 
'io   .-JBJJBO   i»rij-  eliriW 

nj  Ic 
5-  riots  eew  io 

li  lultduob  aJ:  i 


CITRUS  BELT  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
San  Bernardino  County  -  Organized  November  10,  1890  -  Area  11,700  acres 


The  Semi  Tropic  Land  and  Water  Company,  of  which  Ex-Governor  Merrill 
of  Iowa,  and  Bohnbreck  t  Kowse  of  Los  Angeles,  were  the  chief  stockholders, 
owned  the  land  in  tee  neighborhood  of  Rialto  which  was  embraced  in  the  proposed 
Rialto  and  Citrus  Belt  Irrigation  Districts.     The  Citrus  Belt  district  was 
a  little  to  the  west  of  Rialto.     The  land  was  subject  to  a  mortgage  amounting 
to  $20  per  acre  ,  given  by  the  Serai  Tropic  Land  and  Water  Company  to  the  £an 
Francisco  Savings  Union.       The  company  was  anxious  to  sell  the  land  and  fixed 
upon  the  organization  of  a  Wright  Act  irrigation  district  as  the  most  feasible 
plan  for  putting  the  land  in  a  marketable  state  .     There  were  few  settlers  on 
the  ground  at  the  time  and  it  was  necessary  to  bring  in  voters  so  that  the 
requisite  number  of  signers  might  be  available  for  the  petition  for  organization. 
U.  E.  Foulke  was   one  of  the  first  settlers  brought  in  by  Merrill  and  he  was 
active   in  trie  organization  and  management  of  the  district,   serving  as  president 
for  about  six  years.       There  was  no  opposition  to  the  district  for  only  those 
who  were  favorable  to  the  plan  and  willing  to  act  with  the  company  were  brought 
in. 

There  was  no  irrigation  in  the  district  prior  to  its  formation.  By 
dry  farming  on  a  lar^e  scale,  grain  could  be  profitably  raised.  Tne  land  was 
excellent  in  quality  and  well  suited  for  the  production  of  citrus  fruits. 

Y/hen  a  sufficient  number  of  settlers  had  been  secured,   the  district 
was  organized  (November  10,  1890)   to  cover  11,700  acres.     This  area  was  larger 
than  could  be  irrigated  with  water  available  and  the  area  was  cut  down  to  3,01)0 
acres  before  disorganization.     The  Semi-Tropic  Land  4  Water  Company  had  sold 
land  at  $75  to  $100  per  acre  with  an  agreenient   to  deliver  water  free  for  four 
years.     The  same  land  had  cost  the  company  about  $12  per  acre  as  purchased  in 
the  large  tract. 


•I  -  •— 

OOV,II  £t*v   -  (          ,  '&  -  ^nu 


Ilrnel-  1  J-x3  iioxrfw  to   ,\;m>qTtoO  meJ-fiW  fin*   brusj  oiq.oiT  ira«8  wfP 

.BisoIojiJiooJ-a  leWo  <wif  siew  ,  asle^nA  soj  lo  eawoH  4  ioais'mioS  bfl«   ,«*«! 

-.ijiae  BJEW  rioi-aw  O*IJJXH  'lo  faooriiodrigien  9itJ  ni  fa«Bi  * 
j  *Iad  ar-tfiO  eiiT     .a^oin^Bia  nojt**^i-wl  JJeH  st-iJ-iQ  bn* 

s  £  Qt  J-oeta'jja  SJBW  bnjsi  eiiT     .o^XaiH  lo  *eew  eri*  ci   eUJif 

oj  ^n^qmoD  Ts*jsW  dn*  6«£j  siqonT  Jta«3  e^  X^  nevig  ,  eitws  isq 
fasxil  Jon*  iJiel  «i*  Use  o^  Buoixnue  aew  yaecmico  eaT       .noinU  a^Riveg 
WiajBel  130K  sii*  SB  i-sii-taib  neiJjsatwl  ^oA  JrfgiiW  B  lo  noiJBSirusi-io  erf^  noqu 
no  etojttj&s  wel  anew  diari?     .  eJ-Bi-a  sJcf^eiiBm  £  ni  bn«I  flri*  ^fliJJuq  nol 

68  s-ia^ov  nJ:  anJiirf  o*  x^B88B;'8rj  &*•*  *^  o«js  emid 
i-'ic  nol  aoWxJaq  eitr  10  'i  eIa£lijBV£  acf  Jri^iffi  aiengiB  lo 
arf  i3ct£  ILciiaM  x^  ni  Jfiyoid  sieli-J-aa  ^eti't  ou-t  lo  ano  aew  6JiIuor€  .S'-i»U 

r.J-  lo  J«on.9S-BtI*fn  o*05-  noii-flsiaB§*K>  srl^  ni  evWo* 

vLto  .to;  joi^eic  snJ   o*  noiJ-ieoqqo  on  as\v  6T9fiT       .  aifisx  ^e  Juod*  10  1 

etew  oiiw 


yfl     .noii-jBjriol  eji  oJ-  noxiq  ^sitd-aib  arit  nx  noi^jesx'ni  o«  atw 
juew  b.tBl  an'T.     .bsaxei  vld£*iloiq  ed  blwon  nx^iji   .sLsos  e^ijsl  *  no  js 
jjtJ-to  lo  noiJ-ouboiq  ajiJ-  10!  bsJiua  liew  bn*   x*i^*«P  "i 
an*  .be-suoea  need  ojexi  aiftl^ee  lo  isdjawn  J-naxolllya  *  nedW 
ib^ijiL  new  evis  airiT     .aeios  OOV.II  'ievoo  oJ-  (0981  ,01  i*<tetavoM)  besx«*jjno  uw 
000,  £  o;f  nwcfa  J-ifo  asw  SOTJB  etij  bfl£  slcfjslx^vjs  istnw  rtfiw  b»*J»§x*ni  ad  faXuoo 
Mi  -{fteqrfoO  ia^JBW  &  fafuaJ  oiconT-ifineS  enT     .  ntoi-*«sJt«jigioaJt&  eioletf 

v  -jevxlat   oj   ^ec.seiBB  ««  jjftfc*  eto^  leq  001$ 
f,i  f 


(2) 


It  was  planned  to  secure  water  from  Lytle  Creek,  bonds  were  voted 
to  the  amount  of  $800,000  on  December  2,  1390  and  confirmed  by  Judge  Otis, 
},'arch  5,  1891.  An  attempt  was  then  made  to  sell  the  bonds.  Ex-Governor  Merrill 
took  the  bonds  and  made  a  trip  to  New  York  City  and  to  Europe  but  was  unable  to 
sell  the  bonds  in  either  place.  The  district  itself  could  not  sell  them  and 
finally  an  agreement  was  entered  into  with  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  &  Water  Company 
under  which  the  district  was  to  deliver  to  the  Semi  Tropic  Co.,  bonds  to  the 
amount  of  $780,000  in  return  for  which  the  company  agreed  to  deliver  water  for 
11,7CO  acres  at  the  rate  of  1  inch  for  each  7  1/2  acres,  or  1560  inches,  300 
inches  to  be  delivered  by  June,  1891.  The  bonds  were  delivered  by  the  district 
but  the  company  was  not  able  to  live  up  to  its  contract  and  the  bonds  were 
returned  to  the  district. 

The  difficulties  encountered  by  the  district  in  selling  its  bonds  and 
securing  a  water  supply  brought  on  opposition.  Expenses  were  heavy  and  no 
results  were  being  obtained.  The  failure  of  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  and  Water  Co., 
threw  its  property  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver  and  those  for  whose  benefit  it 
was  held  were  anxious  to  have  the  Wright  Act  district  done  away  with.  In  1895 
an  injunction  was  secured  restraining  the  selling  of  lands  for  taxes  on  the 
Around  of  irregularity  of  assessment .  Shortly  after  (on  November  25,  1896) 
a  petition  for  disorganization  was  made  by  the  board  of  directors  of  the  district 
claiming  that  all  property  had  been  disposed  of  and  all  debts  paid,  and  on  !  ay 
1,  1397  a  decree  of  dissolution  was  issued  by  John  L.  Campbell,  Superior  Judge, 
San  Bernardino  County . 

The  outstanding  indebtedness  of  the  district  was  all  in  the  form  of 
warrants  and  these  wene  paid  at  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar.  The  San 
Francisco  Savings  Union  and  t.oe  two  railroad  companies  whose  lines  ran  through 
the  district  (Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.,  and  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  R.  R. 
Co.)  paid  practically  all  of  the  debts. 


(s) 


.  JMV«  3*!tro0»  ct  bsiiitJBlq  at'.'W 

samxlfioo  farus  0061   ,  £  leJaieseG  HO  000t008f  lo 

Hi  ud  eitj  Use  otf   abBnr  ntenj  'aew  JmaaJJjB  rtA     .1981  t<J 

oJ  8£W  J'ua   eq-plL'I  c*  I;njs  yJxO  afio'/  well  oJ-  piti  £   efe«n:  hn«  afa/icd  ert 

r-.oaj  HOG  J-cm  biuoo  lleaJ-i  ^oi^Bib  oriT     .  soslq  •JSiWie  nx   ei»tccf  ftiU1  lies 

W  Jb  bru-J  oiootT  IniaB  &ri^  riiiar  oj'ni  bbiej^ne  s^tw  Jrtssi&aijj*  its 
ct  si>nod  ,.oD  oxqoiT  lm«3  8iU  Oa   iwvilsb  o^  SJEW  ^oxij-sxij   dfid-  rioxrfw 
•tot  Tt  j-«w  'isvileb  oj   basics  \nfx.ji\Qa   erij-  rioxnw  id  aiiti&i  nl  000, 08V ^  So 

00£   ,a9i1onx  08ci  no    .RQIOJB  S\I  V  doiie  lot  risni    I   to   alflt  »iij    ^£  SSIOB  00^,11 
bsnovxlao  e-isw  «b«od  eriT     .  I9&I  ,  anuL  yd  beTevxleo  ed  o±  esrionx 
s'sa-v  abnod  9riJ-  bnfi  j-cB'iJ"nco  sax   cj-  qc  evxl  o^   »Idjs  j-on  aew  vneqmoo  eiid" 

.^oinJ-ftib  siit  Ow 

3onod  aJ-x  ;-niIl8^  nx  J-cx-iJexb   arij    yd  bbiewnt'oorte  aexj-iuoxllxi)  edT 
on  bap  yvssfi  s-jew  eoenacrx^     .noxJ-isocqo  «o  J'rfgi.'oid  vl(to>r8  -j©^w  JH 
,.oD  te.i-jBV,'  fanr  brieJ  oxqcn*1  xmec:  &iiJ   'to   bifix^l  eriT     .  bsnxf  J'do  gnxed  anew 
d~x  J-i^tinad  seodw  io't  aaori;f  hoe  leviooen  £  lo  abnerf  adJ-  olnx 
C(?6I  nl     .a^xw  VBVWB  9n,.u  Joxi^aib  xoA  -risiiW  6-iiJ   sva.-i  od^   3L<oxx^£  ens1^  bleri  aew 
no  aex^J-  id  ".u«£l  lo  .^nxllea  ariJ  -jiunx*itf ;JI»T 
1  ,&$  rtedcievoM  fro)  isJ-l*  X-^'10i'l3     .  J"net,.38O88J8   Ic 
Joxtisxo  0ilJ  lo  8^ojo91xb  'io  biaod  9iil   v.J  ebem  BFW  r<nxJ-£sJ.imv,*ioBxi 
YB'a  no  bitfe   «  OXJHC  ei-j'sb  JIs  Ins   ic  ^aaoQexo  nesa"  b£ri  \t'i9(<Qiq  Lie  S 
tQxiMl  ioxiecrL'3   .IleoqntsO  .J  nriol  yd  beuasi  aew  nci^uloaexb  lo   e&io»b  e  TP6I   ,1 

•  X^ffucO  onifctemefl  ne2 

lo  scici  etij  fix   lie   lew  loxndaxii  eriJ  lo  aeenbeJdebnx  ^xbaartv.^wo  eriT 
a«3  eiiT     .t/jllob  sfiJ-  no  s^aao  yJ-li'i  lo  etai  orij  J-s  biJMf  rrsw  e^adJ   bn*   «Jn*"rii>w 
-J-  ncT  aenxl  aeodw  aeiftscmoo  b«OTl-..'n  oitf  ei.J  Dtte  noinU  Binxvjaa  oosxon*?T"i 
.H  .fl  »I  f'Jn  ,.oO  .h  .fi  c,  m«fU*/o3)  toxiiel-b  «dd- 

rJ1    io  lie  \Llfsitseiq  bleq   (.oD 


district  did  not  have  a  very  marked  effect  on  the  prosperity 
of  the  community.  If  it  could  have  been  carried  through  the  section  would 
have  become  long  since  a  very  prosperous  "citrus  belt"  and  the  failure  of 
the  district  merely  deferred  this  result.  Since  the  disorganization  of  the 
district  some  pumping  has  been  done  and  the  Fontana  Development  Company  is 
now  selling  off  the  land  in  5  to  20  acre  tracts,  planted  with  orange  trees, 
and  to  be  served  with  water  from  Lytle  Creek.   The  price  obtained  is  from 

5250  per  acre  up. 

is.-jntwt  of  aad  as  *  rssult  tes  d, 


J3  ".v  art',.**!  -Arm  »v:h  r-.r.se  i^  a  poiat  t-j 

ti  -• 

at   '  e  :  r*-=  *9  'VZr^i.  *t.-i  to«  ::•,;:;>:.-;•-  r| 

.-  -r.  ^  t^wij,  \f&  La  ,\?.r  »  ».-•  c.r  .  *pi  -   'a 

v-v^«»  *Lei  TLia^  <"A  vi:.  It;  ri_-*.  .r  "> 

.'«r.i5r  r/  ;*.e.   ^^e  r»)T«'  »5.i-   ror 
no  trac«  vi  ?.r.jr  Jvt.-wei1  •-  .  ~j  ei 


45  »v*>ri  tea  fcib 

fcluow  noiis«»e  »i  .  -nit  bsiri^o  nee<f  sv^-ri  blwoo  ti  II     .  ^lftu»w»oo  arid-  lo 

lo  aj  faiU!  "J'l'jd   sunJ-io"   ajjoieqsoiQ   '\rifev  £  sonis  gnol  wiooetf  evjE-a 

to  Roi^j&siftJBSiceib  srf*  eo«i3     .  Jlueei  ein*  bs-ne'tsb  \In«:-  *oiti«xb 
ei  -  ^nenrcclavea  uaBtnol  arid-  bn£  snob  nescf  ajeri  ^niqi 

6:yffi*io  fiJ'-tw  beJ-nelc  jetofn*  OTO<J  OS  ot  2  «x  fonsl  erij  llo  anilloe  won 
ax  rre«iJ6J-£io  soiic  «rf?       .iaelO  &L^\J  mail  TO^BW  ctfit?  bsv-t»a  srf 


PROPOSED  DOreST  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Los  Angeles  County  . 


10  to  i"j*}  *or*s,  with  ti*»  t,v*,?s.;...«  ar:***^  ..  ••-,:  »•:,  .#r*<   :•"-.«  *.;ww  *••:.»  r^> 

The  petition  for  the  organization  of  the  Downey  Irrigation  District 
was  filed  January  5,  1888,  and  a  remonstrance  was  filed  January  20,  1888. 
There  had  teen,  prior  to  that  time,  many  petty  quarrels  and  much  unpleasantness  o 
on  account  of  water  rights,  and  as  a  result  the  people  of  the  community  had, 
as  regards  water  matters,  divided  into  two  parties  and  each  made  it  a  point  to 
oppose  anything  and  everything  proposed  by  the  other  party.  When  the  proposal 
for  the  organization  of  a  district  under  the  V.right  law  came  up,  therefore,  the 
opposition  wnich  was  at  once  manifested  was  so  strong  and  the  prospect  of 

wrangling  and  of  litigation  so  discouraging  that  the  matier  was  dropped.  In 

not 
this  case  also  many  of  the  landowners  had  old  water  rights  and  they  were  willing 

to  share  them  with  others  who  had  inferior  rights.  The  matter  was  dropped  and 
the  records  show  no  trace  of  any  further  action  having  been  taken  by  either 
the  petitioners  or  the  Supervisors  . 


f  that  »y  si 


»  /<*    ^t-«>   V'«  «.*-      A!   •  •  •  •>  «l  _*^ 

•  T  aad  pi>;  lira  >j  vi*  Virieiiuri  *^v*r  . 

or.s*  rjali¥*r*tA  ta  -»^<i  iiatri^t.  Th»  ai**t:'i-:t  &JLsc-  r,aj.  cosra  ««.li»  --at  c»wa* 
/»  A  incn  p  .  .-.•».;.  'rcrc  y«*  wsl  ;.•.  tc 


• 


soj 


euJ"  lo  ncij^sirtiigio  &rij-  'ic'i  ^oiiiJeq  erfT 
.8661   ,OS  Ys'!J-';tJK^   belii  esw  aoniij-anorr.oi  iv   bm     ,  S6fc  '   ,  c 


ciow.  biuj   altTu-itip  \U~sq  yfi&tr.  ,  ao:  x^ 
ii^    lo   &Iqosc  9ii.fr 


02 


Oj    jriioq  ^  vi  abfir.i  no.  <    jam 
lesoqoic  arid-  nofi;AJ     . 

.eicleierio    ,  qt:   90xo  we  I  Jfi 
lo  j 


.tl     tbsqqcio 


eui' 


oru.- 


bm;  oaqqoib   3i' 


,ieecf    ni 


^s.^  o.vj-  ojni   beLivxb   . 
baeoqonq  ^rjxriJ 

b  £   lo 
eo/so  j& 


bio 


,n&scf  bfiii  &!setiT 
lo  tfii'oco£  no 
I&J-JBW  soi^^si  a£ 
eeoqqo 
erl^   TO^ 
hoiriw  noitieocqc 
lo  ^iu: 


oa 

msnwobit£l 

ami  caw  8'iejiJe  rid-xw  cexlj    siede  of 
'to   bojsij-  on  wotls  abioo»i 
i^nJ-  TC   aiefloUxJ-oq 


EAST  RIVERSIDE  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Riverside  and  San  Bernardino  Counties  -  Organized  Sept.  25,  1890  -  Area  2690  acres. 

"X. 

~rov* '  v  -   -  "•*  esiC*  ..  '  Bends  to  *,<  «  eao«i:<  v  i*  4i.v}?»OC<G  #e/t»  o-.tfc!.*r.u  •,••.?  «: 

The  lands  included  in  the  proposed  district  were  held  in  tracts  of 
from  10  to  300  acres,  with  the  average  holding  about  40  acres.  The  land  was  not 
being  irrigated  and  for  cultivation  as  grain  land  was  not  worth  more  than  $25 
per  acre.  The  owners  were  anxious  to  bring  water  upon  their  land  and  thus 
render  it  available  for  the  production  of  citrus  fruits  for  which  it  was  ae 
well  suited  as  any  land  in  southern  California.  There  were  not  enough  people 
living  in  the  district  to  legally  organize  the  district  and  men  were  brought 
in  for  the  purpose  and  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Supervisors  of  San  Ber- 
nardino County  on  July  31,  1890,  signed  by  the  majority  of  the  freeholders  to 
the  number  of  twenty-three  and  stating  that  is  was  proposed  to  acquire  v>ater 
eitner  from  the  Bear  Valley  Water  Company,  the  Vivienda  Water  Coapany,  or  from 
P.  A.  Raynor.  The  area  included  was  2,590  acres,  all  of  which  was  irrigable. 
The  district  was  declared  organized  September  25,  1890. 

The  district  at  once  began  to  examine  into  the  water  supply  available 
and  purchased  66  acres  from  John  Garner  and  J.  W.  UcKensie,  paying  430,000 
for  the  same.  It  was  estimated  by  the  Engineer  for  the  district,  ...r .  i  .  C. 
Finkle ,  that  by  sinking  wells  on  these  tracts  a  supply  of  2,000  miners'  inches 
of  water  could  be  obtained  and  that  there  would  thus  be  an  excess  of  about  1400 
inches  which  might  be  sold.  The  directors,  however,  seem  to  have  decided  that 
the  plan  was  not  the  best  possible  and  accordingly  they  purchased  the  water 
rights  and  pipe  line  of  the  Vivienda  Water  Company,  paying  4100,000.  As  this 
company  had  a  pipe  line  in  operation,  it  was  taought  that  water  could  be  at 
once  delivered  to  the  district.  The  district  also  had  some  wells  put  down. 
A  24  inch  pipe  line  nearly  8  miles  long  was  laid  from  the  wells  to  the  lands 
of  the  district  and  an  abundant  supply  of  water  was  thus  obtained. 


1 

066-  £9^;  -  J€8I  «S*  .  Jc  .  ••  oe^  biue 


io  aJo-eiJ  cut  cleri  oiaw  4:u*d-?-,xo  bsaoqo'jc;  ed«   ni  aebuloiix   sonal  eiiT 
jon  afw  imel  e»:T     .  si-iO*  0*>  d-uc-Xt.  anxoloil  »jj6isv£  &dJ-  riiiw  ,3613*5  OQS  od1  01  moil 

io*  Jen  sew  bn 

j»lt  flne  faoel  ^ieiW  aoqi.'  TQ^BW  ^ftiid  oj   at'oixot  fiew  aionwo  anT     .  SIOJB 
SJBW  di  iioiriw  TO!  aiittl   BriJ-xo   to  ncxJ'Oobo'iq   9i-.j  10:   8lJjBljj»v«  J1! 

iiauo«a  J-on  GTSW  srte.iT     .£imolj:l£0  mend'uog  ni  bttBi   -fajE<  a^  ooJ-iue  How 
•;a  »i9w  nsis  i>n£  ^oi-ijeic  o..J   bs;j:nJb^^o   ^-^d6-^  c^  -oi*wcib   arJJ  ni  ^aiviX 
'to  3i03ivr0qu2   a4»j-  oj  beJ.ieeenq  aaw  noiiiit'ecf  *  ua*   sscqiuq  e»nj  iol  iti 
aioilciiesi  i  e*u   'to  \jiio  iera  sai"   Y°  beugia   ,0681   «  IS  \li;L  no  ^iUioO  OftJLt'ien 
oJ^  i/saoqoiq  atw  si  J-£rij   orfxi'JBtfs  OOP   at^iJ-  \ttitw3   lo  i^sauti  arij 


10 


iioinw   io  1 

,3€81   «dS  laJmf  jqea  b.esii-ijc^-ic  Jba-u-Ioeb  a*-w  ^oxiu-eib  eriT 
ifad-£w  eaj-  o^nx   anxm^xs  oj-  rtfl^ei  eono  tfjg  ioiiJexfj  ariT 
000,OS#  sfiix-**'-!   i  ai8flA.iar/i  .V    .1  brifc  -syn-LsC;  ndcL  raoil  aeno.6  60  i>oeJBUogii/q  one 
.0.1  .  1.,  ^ox^exc  arij'  ic'i  lasni^nii  sdi1  ^  O6^JsinxJ8t>  aew  XI     .  orir-a  octd" 
eorloax   'si6flx.Ti  000,2  lo  ^Lqcufi  B   aio.BTJ'   oaedJ-  no  a^Xlsw  ^nxinx 
00*1  J-i/ocfjs  lo  aaeoxe  tu.  sd  ^tri*  bluow  aneai1  *Aii^  bofi  b&«xi^cfo  ed  bluoo  i6d-jB«r  lo 
befcxoeb  9v*fi  oJ'  uioea   ,  isvewcrl  ,  mod  saiic  &iiT     .blo^  erf  Jrigic:  risirfw  aedonx 
TeJ"Bw  erij  baaErioiJo'cr  ^enj-   x-l3fi-i^'ios;>JD  biiB  olcfx^aoct  J'KSO  e&  ten  aew  ftelq  BfiJ- 
xaJ-  SA     .000,0011  gni^sq   ,  ^cujqcroO  iej£',y  BtoneiviV 

**   ad  blwoo  iaSf.v  jiiri^  d-ri^worJ"  s/w  i-i   .nox-tisqo  «i   onxl  sqic  *  fejsri  X"*^*!5 
.nffob  d~uq  ellew  sr,ioa  OKA  osle  ioxn^exb  onT     .Jantsib  ettt  ot  bensvileb  eono 
u'l  siij-  oJ  allsv/  9tU  raoil  fciel  KBW  a«ol  ^slirn  8  ylifi&n.  awil  eqxq  rionx  M  A 

at,   ooe  tai^exo  *>»i.f    io 


(2) 


V/ith  an  abundant  water  supply  and  land  of  the  highest  quality  it 
would  seem  as  if  the  district  was  in  a  fair  way  to  success ,  but  such  did  not 
prove  to  be  the  case.  Bonds  to  the  amount  of  $227,000  were  outstanding,  of 
v:  ich  $.212,000  had  been  cold  for  cash,  and  it  was  not  found  possible  to  meet 
the  interest  payments  on  these  bonds  for  the  reason  that  some  of  the  landowners 
refused  to  pay  their  taxes  and  although  some  of  the  land  was  struck  off  to  the 
district,  this  did  not  bring  in  the  cash  necessary  to  pay  the  interest  charges. 
Hatters  were  going  from  bad  to  worse  and  it  was  felt  that  some  vigorous  move 
raust  be  made  to  prevent  absolute  failure  of  the  project.  At  this  point  Kr.  E. 
A.  Chase  came  forward  with  a  plan  to  organize  as  a  mutual  water  company  and  this 
was  done .  The  Riverside  Highland  ^ater  Company  was  organized  and  took  over  all 
the  assets  of  the  East  Riverside  Irrigation  District  and  at  the  same  time 
assumed  all  its  obligations .  This  change  was  made  in  1898  and  a  considerable 
amount  of  interest  had  been  defaulted.  There  wae  some  question  as  to  the 
validity  of  the  outstanding  bonds  and  this  enabled  the  new  company  to  buy  up 
most  of  them  at  prices  ranging  from  25  to  50  cents  on  the  dollar.  There  was 
one  block  of  bonds  of  $15,000  which  the  company  offered  to  buy  at  75  cenzs  on 
the  dollar  but  the  attorney  for  the  bondholder  refused  the  offer.  The  company 
later  succeeded  in  having  this  ieeue  declared  illegal .  Of  the  remaining  bonds 
all  have  bought  in  by  the  Riverside  Highland  toater  Company  except  some  v3,000 
to  (5,000  worth  which  cannot  be  found,  so  that  the  total  amount  of  bonds  now 
outstanding  is  between  (16,000  and  (20,000,  of  which  £15,000  have  been  declared 
invalid . 

As  to  the  ability  and  honesty  of  the  management  of  the  East  Riverside 
Irrigation  District  before  the  mutual  company  was  organized,  there  is  eome 
question.  It  was  thought  by  some  that  the  president  of  the  board  of  directors 
(E.  A.  Robinson)  had  sold  the  bonds  at  a  lower  rate  toan  was  authorized  by  law 
and  he  is  eaid  to  have  received  a  large  block  of  bonds  in  some  unaccountable 


U  -  u&wnwJ*  na 

-on  bib  :iowa  Jjjd  ,  aseooua  oj  Xs'*  nisi  a  tii  ajew  J-3xi3"3ic  9ti$  11  aj&  meea  folirow 
to    ,  ^nxjuutfaj-juo   3-1  ew  000,  Y2*.J  -5  lo  .Tnt'orae  eitf   ol   abao'd     .  aaso  ariJ-    ed  otf 
aidxs^oq  bnuol  Jon  sew  Jx  bos   ,  rteB»  10!  faloa  iteecf  Exeri  000,212^ 
arii1    to  smoa  ^uiii"  nc3'?3i  enj^  -tot  abaoJ  s^aaj  «o  s 
oi-   ilo  iiOintfa  &BW  b«sl  eaJ-  lo  amos  iiawon*l>'  brt£  BSXBJ-  nxetiJ-   \pq  ot 
laBTej-ai   site    ^«q  o*   ^T^a-aa^efl  cisao   3iit  ax  giixia'  ^on  bib  sirtf    . 
auoio^xv  anioa  fxriJ  J'lal  BJPW  Jx  brur   ee^ow  o.*  d^a  (TTOT! 

.51  .a.4  Jnxoq  axrit  *A  .i'Oatoiq  sci*  lo  a~i;Iifll  o^jL'Iosa'3  ^nsveiq  od1  sittm  scf 
.iJ  jfte  •'{OBqinao  -id^B*  XBjjJ-jjm  fl  SB  esxttB^io  oi  nslq  xs  iifxw  biBuno'l  .wn£0  sserfO  .A 
IQVO  ^oo«h  ban;  besiaa^io  at'  v  X'"1*1*-^0^  i&ta>H  bnslii^i'A  ebxeneviH  eriT  .  onob  s/vw 
.*  araj83  aiio  la  boa  Joii^aiQ  aoxd-^^tinl  eblatevia  ^a£'i  mii  to 

a  om?  3C8I  ni  aajsm  aew  93O£fi3  aJriT     .  artox^^-ildo  a^i  IJD? 
3B  noxd'aaup   ocao3  *«v  3'ieiiT     .  bajLualdh  rtae  f  bsii  J'ne'rsJ':-:!   lo 
qu  \yd  off  \nsqtaQ3  wan  aciw    oaUsne  ainj-  bn/j  abflo-J  gnxbri^sJyo  sal  lo 
3Bv  3T8iiT     .TEllob  Siii1  no  aJTiso  Ofi  ol  22  «io*il  .jniaaB'i  a^oiTCf  Jij  raeild-  lo 
no  ajnao  cY  SB  ^ua   Oo    bsiatlo  ^jjeccaoo  and"  floxci"/  000,  21H  lo  abaoJ  lo  )toold  eao 
Ifisqraoo  eiiT     -Talio   siij  baaulsT  asbloribnocf  erfJ1  tot   ^"'JO^J'B  oilJ'  J~ucf  lall 
3bno<i  ^oini^mai  sri^   10     .  Israeli!  banjsioeb  airasx  ,8iiit  anivsJi  ni   b9be«ooua 
000,  £y  eatoa  Jqeaxa  Y;tfi<3'l!°0  ^a-s-'  bn^irigxrf  ebis'tsvxji  eal  Y^  H-t  iri^'orf  svjsri 
v/oa  abnod  lo  jni;oras  iBi-o^   sal  .^rtf  03   ,bni;ol   ad  J-oflitHO  rfairfw  rfjiow  000,2$ 
aaod  evBri  000,21;?  doiriw  10   ,000,321  bn»  000,  8I|  neaw^sd  ax 


lo  j-neinaj^iiBm   ,:i^   lo 

<-i8i:i)-    .aasxaa^io  8£w  v..  isuj-wn  eiii   sioled 

In                saw"  lo  -asiJ      i        .J  J-£iij  smos  \$  ^rfyuorid-   «^w  *I     .aoi.asup 

we..             .:.-               -iiis-  oBit-    t                     .-  i-«  eofiod  i             i  bpti  («o«nxdofl  ./,  .J) 

.     affloa                     :o  aloo  .     OST  ava.i  QJ-  oJLes  ai  erf 


(3) 


way,  for  after  his  death  hie  wife  found  them  among  hie  papers  tut  did  not  know 
how  they  came  to  be  there.  On  the  other  hand,  others  have  stated  that  the 
management  was  honest  throughout.  In  the  same  way,  as  to  efficiency  there  is 
a  difference  of  opinion.  One  man  who  was  very  intimately  connected  with  the 
district  ,  says  that  the  management  was  very  efficient,  but  it  seems  to  be  true 
that  the  money  expended  by  the  district  was  put  into  works  which  were  not  of 
a  permanent  nature.  The  Riverside  highland  Water  Company  found  when  it  took 
over  the  plant  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  renew  and  supplement  the  works 
of  the  district  at  an  expense  of  from  f  200,  000  to  4250,000  tc  make  then  really 
available  for  the  tract  of  land  .  It  ir  probable  that  this  failure  to  build 
works  of  an  efficient  and  permanent  nature  and  the  expenditure  of  a  sum  ic 
excess  of  the  value  received  was  the  reason  for  the  failure  of  the  district  to 
operate  successfully  under  the  Wright  Act. 

Since  the  formation  of  the  Riverside  Highland  Vater  Company  the 
section  has  prospered  well.  The  entire  acreage  is  now  irrigated  and  planted 
to  orange  trees,  and  the  land  is  worth  from  41,000  per  acre  upwards.  The 
mutual  company  has  operated  successfully  and  without  friction  and  everyone  is 

well  satisfied  with  the  existing  conditions. 

.0  '  u  ,   f  •• 

.-.   !:or.d  *s.e    -  quality    tnc  would  r.ave   t 

i.at    *-ta>  ;i  0-r   c;  - 


f  '.!,'>!  'f'ffi:    t:     i  .:  j?  :~~    c:.    *>•,.;.  L...J.U 


oian  Creek,  erteeAan  veils,  2ear  ajiC  L**«  k*sir;5?r.      - 

unfit  for  us»  on  tocoiAt  &l  high  blkui  *fct»*«nt,   cy  Cr.  K.  W. 


j o:\f.  Jon  bia  Jij.    u'ijqrq  ai;i  ynoflSB  meiiJ  bnto'i   alJLt  aia  itffiab  <->ia  id^'ld  10!    « 

art-   JjSiU   :.  jj/ja   avfifl  meriio   »bn«ii  'isajo  s»tj   nO     .  eierij    eo    cj    9to«o 
ai   9'iOiU   'i-ju^ia-U'l*  oj   3*-   ,  ^pw  enuiv  eaj   nl     .juoa^i: '.-...    J'aonoii 
:(.J.i.-v  baJ  obfwoo  \I-jjwidjiji    y^«v  3,  tf  oitw  ui..;  enO     .noJ:nj.qo 
95  oJ"  ameej  J^i  Jud   ^aeioill*  x*18'  8JB*'  *«ane3*»flf>ffl  oaj   ±uai 
to  ovon  atow  doirtw  a>iTO"  o^ni  i-uq  *u  v  JoxtJ-aib  sn^   x^  baonsoxu 
iood"  Ji  neii*  afljjot   \ptacfEoO  ^sd•*lW  brtalrigi^  aulaisviH  ariT     .  a-ii/^jsa  3-H9««ra-ieq  u 
-nacjfclqquB  DIIB  wantn  oj-  ^aaaeoen  ad  bluow  Si  J'^ruJ-   laslc  srit  TSVO 
sa/im  o^  OOO.Otii:^  oJ-  00u,008|  flioTt   'to   98it-*qx3  n&  JB  J.siij»ib  eriJ-   lo 
al-tiref  cJ-   »ii;lijsl  aihJ-  J-jaiiJ-  eioadonq  ai  j~I     ,  b.tjsl  lo  JOBI*   ea^  fiol 
nx  mua  e    to   ertuJ-ionsqxe  eriJ  ona  aruj^.^u  i'nafwsaciix.-   torus  driaioi'tle  rm   Vo 
oj-  joind'aib  a»U   lo  a'ljjlx^l   eftl  uot  noa.otn   ariJ1   B^W  bavisoftn  aula/  oruf  to  neaoxe 

.-oA  lii^iiW  91  ij   aubny  y£It;'t3e»oowj 
nJBC[rao2  id^JoW  ooBlayJt.I  abxai9vi;f  aiU   io  uoiJ'finio't 
..'.;,    be^agxiii  «oa  ai  a^ee'ias  etJLtno  auT     .Haw 
a*iT     .  ao'iswqu   ivioju  teq  000,  Ii  moil  ri^Ta*  3-  onjeX  o;iJ    u.i"    ,  ae-ai j 
si   anoxtave  ^a>  noiJoxi'i  luoajiw  bos  \;IIuta3900uq  ba^iacfO  a,-;.i  ^wqaoo   LeuJusa 

.  a«fliJ"iJbnoo  jjruJaixa  aa^  lUi'j/  jailaij-jsa  XIs* 


ELSIKORE  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
l'la*f    &    -.?»'•    v  ty    i^  p«rri*    <i*c 

Riverside  County  -  Organized  December  11,  1889  -  Area  15,000  acres. 

on*   wr*   foot  of  writer,  tax.  |1.79     r^uel  r-nlau,  *«.'•* 

The  Eleinore  Irrigation  District  was  one  of  the  earlier  districts 

organized  under  the  Wright  law  and  seems  to  have  been  started  by  the  enthusiastic 

sres   sf   10 .000  *cr*«,   »o  U;<u  v.»    -•  v -.  »culc  ie  $i,:?,?X-   U/  tfi«  c*rli;icn,*s 
efforts  of  one  man.     G.  W.  Bricker  learned  of  the  new  lav  and  thought  it  would 

te  of  great  advantage  to  the  community  if  a  district  could  be  organized  in  the 

fr-i '•.>:•"    te   'th*  diCtrtfct  v»r   e*v.  -    ..       ••  t    <  .tut    *r<ii-   j  ."•     «j   rr.   -    t/i«      -  -«1   ;'.  •  ;t 
vicinity  of  Elsinore.     His  enthusiasm  was  contagious  and  hie  persistent  activity 
;»«i  *•-.  .::  i  -«--...:•*  j  •.».!    -,/.v   i-o*'    :••    v.  ft   c.:. -,*..-*:•  ;Vi  f.»   r  •  •  '..-.i 

led  to  the  calling  of  an  election  and  the  organization  of  the  district. 
;<t  $27$, GOP. 

Land  in  the  district  was  held  in  tracts  av&raging  about  100  acres 

and  wae  worth  about  425  per  acre.     Grain  was  the  principal  crop  grown  at  that 

time.     Vm.  Collier  of  Riverside  ie  said  to  have  owned  quite   a  large  tract  of 

•-•:    X..2   1*X«,   .-MI  a  ,    ..>^, 

land  within  the  district  and  he  opposed  it  on  the  ground  that  the  expense  of 

securing  water  would  be  greater  than  the  land  could  bear  at  that  time.  r-e  felt 

that  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  developing  a  new  country  were  so  great 
. '..  u^e  proper  »ix<   rTTc.jh*i  ^- .  •  ••,,  .-  /  ;.  <.  ^  >-/••--*/,>•  ,..•  -0-. 

that  it  would  be  very  nearly  impossible  for  people  to  make  a  living  from  their 

land  and  at  tcie  same  time  pay  off  the  indebtedness  which  it  would  be  necessary 

.;.;  :9     *-.  *w*:-     tlMKM    I  "•     -'  -  i..'"- 

to  incur  to  get  water. 
.'&unf    loat   Ci«y    :»^.<f   A*^ 

The  district  was  organized  December  11,  1889  (vote  140  for  organiza- 
tion to  7  against)  with  15,000  acres   included,   of  which  13,000  acret,  were  irri- 
gable.    The  land  wae  of  good  quality  and  would  have  been  suitable  for  deciduous 

trees  arc  alfalfa,   but  the  question  of  obtaining  water  was  a  serious  one.     F.  F. 

.    -.-,,-,      <  /-     i     os  i* 

kcCray  »as  employed  to  report  on  available  sources  of  water  supply;   namely, 

..-.      fc  -/.    «„•,*    .-tj7C^--  -   *rel      '-  .  •  ,_  «#¥*  :*£.  rA\ 

Lake  hecet,   Incian  Creek,  artesian  veils,  Bear  Valley  and  Lake  Llsinore .     Although 

McCray  reported  favorably  on  theuse   of  the  waters  of  Lake  Elsinore,  which  had 

•-*   *fc*   .-is1'.'!  .  .  •    r,*&   \t*tii    ,  /  •*-!.    .  •-  K'\  ^jg,       ff>  tatj 

been  pronounced  unfit  for  use  on  account  of  high  alkali  con^ent,   by  Dr.  £.  ¥. 

hilgard,   the  directors  decided  against  the  uee  of  the  Lake  Elsinore  water  and 
entered  into  negotiations  witn  trie  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  to  purchase 


•X  •*•'*& 

.  •;  ,-iD.L    000,  dl  £9T&  -  8661   ,11  -ieamooju  basin:  :/iC   - 


iexliaa  snj-   to   sac  aew  J-oiiJ-siu  noit&^iiil  s-ioflisll  enT 
\a  beJ"UiJ3  naoJ  e/jsii  OJ  emeae  orue  WB!  jhlsxTt?  e*tj-  -refanu 

bluow  JX  liisi/Oitt  U«B  WB!  wan   soj  'to  aem/sal  laioiia  .  W  .0     .  ttem  eno  lo   aJ'ioll® 
aril  no.  r>  .0  »i  bli/ca  J's.iiJ-aifc  .e   "ii   x--i-Uimf'"!C3  9U^  ^^   e^JiUJv.jiJ  d'fat^  lo   3d 

sin  bow  euoi^jj-noo  ,XDW  ir.s^iairnd'na  aixi     .  a'icnicia  lo   Y'^n^°iv 
•  lo  noJ;^5jtaHgio  tiiij-  une  iioi^aala  .us   io  g:ull£o  aa-    oJ*  Lai 
OOx  uijodi'  dfti^BTjvA  3J-OJB7J   ixi  bidii  gjBtf  joiijaxj   uiid"  «i  bn|iJ 
/;;U"  Jf:  n-vot^  qoio  leqiortiiq  eu$  BJ-.*  uiaTO     .  STOB  Tea  £&$  i'wodi;  nJ"iow  aaw  bna 
lo  JOBIJ-  o^-t/)I  ^   9^iirp  benwo   sv^il  o^   oi^s   3i   obiansviH  lo   'a$illo0  rm  -.*     .  aniJ 
lo    3anac,xa   aiiJ  J-,  ..J-  bnuoi^  d^L    no   j^.  beaoqqo  sa  baa  uonj-*ib   9'U  ni^J-Jcw  oruel 

e*1     .  smi^  J.-iU  ^JB  ised  bluoo  btuei  orU-  itself  TeJ-jeeiy  scf  biwow 
oa  slew  •{ijauco  won  e  ^niqoievaij  ni  beie^nuoona  3d  oJ" 
/^nivxl  fi  o.lsm  oJ  olqosq.  lo't  sldiaeoqnu  \laas*a 
ecf  bliiow  Ji  rioifiw  aaafli»dd-oabflji:   stil   i'to  v*!  amii'   sji^sa  aa^  ^  baa  bnul 


,11 

aaioa  000,  £1  iisici*  lp   .bebuloni  asio*  000,^1  aj-xw  (J-anlBgB   V  oJ  noxj- 
•»0i)bxoeb  10!   ela'^xua  naed  svBii  bl&row  bn^   yfiLaup  boo§  lo   SP-W  brtel  eriT     , 
^  .'?     .  «no  Bi/oxiaa  a   -AB*  iaJsw  gnxnisJcfo   lo  nox^eai/p  oiit  J-ud   ,i3llBlJLB  ana 
,  X-tenisn   JXlqa^Q  lej-w*  lo  ssoii/oa   alcffilxeva  no  ^icqaT   oJ  baYoIqina  BB* 
.oionxeli  eabsJ  bos  ^o-t-teV  iss1!  ,  allwr  ajiBdJta  ,il99TCi  Jifixonl   .J-am 
iioiiwr  ,eionxall  aiBj  lo  aiaJaw  eriJ'  lo  QattenJ-  no  yidaiovsl  be^ioqsi 
..^  .d  .i«I  \a   ,vitejii03  xlBAJjB  A'Aii\  lo  Jrti/ooojs  no  saw  lol  J'xlai;  besiujonoriq  need 
bfus  IOJB*  9-ioaiaia  siej  o.tJ-  'to  »ay  eflt  fsaxaga  befexo«b  aioj-o«ixfa 
aa«iio*uuq  o^-  jO  fioxJjB^xvu  xelleV  iB5d  aiij  tt^xw  efioxJ>ixJ  030*1 


(2) 


Class  B  acre  water  right  certificates  as  was  done  by  the  Ferris  and  Alles- 

sancro  districts.     The  price  to  be  paid  was  $15  for  each  certificate,  res presenting 

one  acre   foot  of  water,   and  42.78  annual  rental.     The  negotiations  were 

cone acted  on  the  basis   of  a  duty  of  1  miners'    inch  to  10  acres  for  an  irrigable 

area  of  10,000  acres,   so  that  the  cost  would  be  £217,500  for  the  certificates 

and  an  annual  rental  of  (4.03  per  acre.     The  cost  of  a  conduit  to  bring  the 

water  to  the  district  was  estimated  at  about  $82,500  so  that  the  total  first 

cost  would  be  $300,000.     McCray  estimated  the  cost  of  the  distribution  system 

at  $278,000. 

The  directors  did  not  make  very  rapid  headway  in  their  plans  to 
secure  a  water  supply  for  the  district.  They  had  a  topographical  survey  made 
of  the  lake,  ran  a  line  to  San  Jacinto ,  and  finally  after  much  delay  were  about 
to  enter  into  a  contract  with  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  on  the  terms 
set  forth  above,  but  many  people  within  the  district  were  not  entirely  satisfied 
with  the  proposition  offered  and  felt  that  the  Bear  Valley  Company  was  not 
worthy  of  entire  conficence.  It  became  apparent  that  the  company  was  selling 
more  water  than  it  could  deliver  and  the  directors  of  the  ^Isinore  district 
found  that  they  could  not  secure  water  from  that  source. 

The  failure  to  achieve  any  satisfactory  results  created  dissatisfac- 
tion within  the  district  and  people  began  to  cast  about  for  a  way  to  rid  them- 
selves of  what  they  had  come  to  consider  a  useless  organization  and  source  of 
expense.  A  suit  had  been  brought  in  1891  by  the  Attorney  General  of  the  State 
claiming  that  the  district  had  not  been  legally  formed  and  that  there  had  not 
teen  a  sufficient  number  of  signers  to  the  petition  for  organization.  A  decision 
favorable  to  the  district  had  been  given  on  December  11,  1891,  but  the  case  had 
been  reopened  and  was  pending  when  the  dissatisfaction  with  the  district  became 
marked  in  1892.  The  board  of  directors  and  others  interested  were  advised  by 
Vim.  Collier,  Attorney  at  Law,  to  refrain  from  fighting  the  suit,  or  to  consent 


-aellA  faoe  ziiia'i  siij  \tf  enou  saw  B.K  r:9j-.ijox'ii..fteo  iti^ii  lejaw  SIOJB  8 

lx^Tao  iio^e  TO!   214  af>*  biter  ad  cJ  aoiiq  snT     .  eJox-iJaxo  otbcua 
8'iaw  enoxj'.sxjosian  saT     .Isjaai   jLeuaafi  6V.  S^  brtR   ,TSJ«W  lo  Jool   STOJB 
TO!   QBTOJB  01  oj  aonx   'aienix  I  Ic   ytva  *  lo  sias^  aiil  no 

a.ij  -jol  00£,V.Q$  ed  bluo*  ieos  Q.iJ  J«»J"  os   ,  aanoB  OOOtOI  lo 
g.txicf  oJ-  IxL-uaoo  .;   ':o  ^aoo  eriT     .  aion  tec   60.  >,  'to   laj.iai  Leunna  AS  boa 
IB^OU    9itt  d-aiij  oa  OOd.LiBi  i^uods  J-jj  be^sffliJaa  ajjw  J-oinJ-ai 
noxd'udxiaaib  ani-  lo  Jsoo  911^  ae^amxaas  ^BiOoM     .000,00€|  &d 


oj-  artfllo  ixedJ  nx   ^-n'osed  biqxi  vi&v  eiiBm  j-oa  faxij  rj-olo9T;xi;  »riT 
1  Y8v^U3   Leoxiiqsa^oqol  B  bfiii  Y®^'     .Jox'iJsxo   srtf  TO!   x-t'IQ*'8  1^*'*  «  srujoea 
sia-v  ^-t9^  rfauffl  lej-le  ^IJjBnx'i  i,n*   .oJ'axosl  ae?.  ot  anxl  £  «s'i   ,ai£l  srtt  to 
art!-  no  xn*?m°3  noiJ^giTnl  Balls'/  *xj89<J  orLt  alx.i'  J-oxn^noo  B  olni 
aa  Jon  eiew  ioxiw'aiu  Oi^  nl.'Uxw  alcoeq   ^nBD:  tud   .avoda 

J-on  as*  \;nJ3<i:"'00  ••i&IIeV  mssa  diiJ-  jjaiii-  Jlsl  bflB  baialio  aox^xeoqoaq  ortt 

'  i  ••  -.  •  *  « 

X-'^Q™00   anj-  •J'-erfJ  J'naijsqqa  aroaoed  j-I     .sonabxlnoo  aixj-na  lo  Yf 

eioa.'.c!l«i  arii1  lo  ato;?  39110  aril  bru?  lavxlab  blt/oo  Ji  nsdj"  -la^Bw  aiora 
.  soTjjoa  gf.-rij  MOT!  IQ^BW  aTDOiia  Jon  bluoo  \&dj  tccit  bnool 
be^a-io   a^IwaaT   ^TO^os'tfixJ'Be  ^n^   avsxaojB  o*  aiylx^l  onT 
oxi  o^  '{•**  *  'I0^  -tfode  Jaao   oj-  oaasd   slqoaq  OIUB  JoiiJ'axb  erfJ  nxatiw  a 
lo   aoiuoe  o«£  noxd-/iSx:-.£;^TO  aetlseu  ss  T»jxa«oo  ol  amoo  oeri  \;e.-U  J'Brfw  lo 
J-x^S  ariJ  lo   XBTdnaO  Y9«ioJ'^    srf*  yd  1681  nx  J-rigiroid  naed  b£ii  Jiu^  A     .  sanaqxe 
J-on  aen  aieriJ-  tBrur  baa  banioi   ^Ils^el  aeed  j'on  beri  Joiij-sib  edfr  J-jB 

A     .  aflxJasxoEjio  TO!  aoxJ'xd'Qq  auj  oJ  aaenua  lo  Tacfm/jn  i-nsxoxllua 
;  33^0   aiij  tui  ,1661   ,11  T3.j>.oo9C  no  ne^ig  naacf   DBrf  ^oii^axfa  6iit  05  eIleTO'/«l 

rtoxi'OBl^i.  sivJ-  rtaiiw  ^itxbflacj  aew  fan«  b&neqoeT  nf)8d 

"•'.  '    -     --  •'        .    .-    '*        r-  '  ' 

\d  oeaxvcr   3Tav  iaJ-?.  jT6i-ni  ^Ttxi>  *o  Jbiaoa   edT     .S68I  nx  bdrfi/yn 

f£  ^amo^j'A   .isilloO  .aiW 


(3) 


that  a  decree  be  entered  declaring  the  district  illegally  organized.     Thie 


was  done  and  Judge  W,  L.  Pierce,   Superior  Judge  of  San  Diego  County,   decided 

on  June  16,  1892,   that  the  district  was  not  legally  organized  and  had  never 

•;,»•  ••;  Irrigation  £i$tr.--   *<-  --*    c--     .:  e  'c»;*v 

had  a  legal  existence. 

•  '   tr.a  prapart*   w«*»rt  ti;at  *lt.  irr  i-c.  -**/ul<i  M  ?«t»ibi«  tc  d«»et«  a 

This  ended  the  activity  of  the  Eleinore  Irrigation  District.     The 

$f    t/ie  2  £i>j-C   xo   tr  •'-.   ;. '..  *  '.'ii --•    >j^    ,:.'..."  -.^    ifui'-s    •-.. 
floating  indebtedness  had  been  paid  off  by   assessment  and  the  bonds  voted 


to  the  amount  of  4450,000  had  never  been  issued,     following  the  dissolution 

of  the  district  many  became  discouraged  and  moved  away,  especially  from  trie 
«.-.:t  t.-:?.   /..  X-  Cr-av^lx.     At  t.iR   feT,nrl  ta»  ait^riit  a»t  »iti*»  n"    ^P~*s   5->-t>» » -  .- 
section  at  the   southeast  end  of  Lake  Elsinore  about  V.ildomar,   and  land  prices 

fell.     Land  which  had  been  worth  about  $25  per  acre  belore  the  organization  of 

T.jt;v:.    •.   v<  "i    Ifi'jo   1".    ",  .      ci^*..'.:,t. 

the  district  and  £1CO  per  acre  after  its  organization,   fell  to  $5  or  $10  per 

acre.     In  the  neighborhood  of  Elsinore  proper  the  depression  was  not  eo  marked. 

The  district  is  still  without  an  adequate  water  supply  for  irrigation, 
onu  tae   lajuJ  wit*Xif    I  -.ri«*.  is   fit 

About  800  or  900  acres  are  being  irrigated  and  land  is  worth  from  $25  to  $300 

per  acre.     Grain  and  alfalfa  are  the  principal  crops. 


the  ai*triet  went 
,a  i^  th«  Soard 
fid  or^;ini?.«d  oa  }.«-.' 
Tfa«  dietrict  t» 
00   acr-=>?   v.£,    .1 

trr4{jRtL6tt  tqr  » 


ittie  <i*iay  . 

on  October        188V,  ^..  t   t<\«  ui.«^io 


f  of 


auout 


i  -Joiilsib  wtr  gal-iB-Iooo  baiacrna  ad  aaioeb  js  jjsri.fr 
o,3ex3  n«3  lo  ajfifc-T,  «ioxtequ3   , 89i»x4  .  J  .  iV  9:3Jbut  bmj  anob  vev 
sii  Jbns  oasiotr^io  \IIaa»I  *on  a/TW  foiiJaio  soj  ^riJ1   ,^681  ,31  enul  ao 

.00(19^31X9    legOl  *    iXSft 

r     .  J-oi-tJ-exa  «oi*«siiil  anaaiaia  sii^  to 
_  ov  sfanod  oii*  bite  J-jt&meBoaaB  xd  'i* 

gnx-jrolloi     .  bswsax  nead  isveo  ojeri  000,0<J*$  lo  i-nutefi  d.-ij-  oi1 
YAleioorae   , XBWB  bavora  6aB  oa^iwooaib  acaisoscf 
b«sl  £»««   .TBrnobJix.!;"  tuoda  «*jOiU8ia  aifij  lo  fans 
lo  itoj-Jasias^no  eaj  aioisd  8Tas  a»q  fiS|  Juods  fiJ•^ow 

noq  014  "so  £$  od-  IIs.l   .noXvBJiivsaio  ai-i  naJIs  »TOB  T«q  001$  I>O3  tsi'ifaib 
,i>e>i'tt;ni  03  -on  asvr  «oiaaeitq85  ©ti*  isqenq  antoaialoi  lo  bc-jiiiodagian  e-:iJ-  «1     . 
noirf^giTii  iol  ^Iqque  Tstiv*  e^Bwpaae  ms  ^uofitiw  Ilii'a  r^i   toxiJaxi?  9»i? 
•006$  ol  <!S^  moil  diiow  si  mtel  brae   ba^Bgl-nx  yaisd  &i?.   38i&s  006  10  008 

a'tla'ile  B«a  nisTD     .»-ia>i  'I 


ESCQNDIDO  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
San  Diego  County  -  Organized  November  25,  1889  -  Area  12,814  acres. 

of   vie   1*UG   Jin  the    ^.iF^rici  W»JF        I.e. 

The  Escondido  Irrigation  District  was  organized  because  of  the  belief 
of  the  property  owners  that  with  irrigation  it  would  be  possible  to  devote  a 
larger  proportion  of  tne  land  to  the  culture  of  citrus  fruits  ana  other  profitable 
crops  such  as  alfalfa,  for  which  the  natural  rainfall  (averaging  16  inches  with 
a  minimum  recorded  of  8  inches)  was  insufficient.  The  first  to  propose  the  pro- 
ject was  A.  K.  Cravath.  At  the  start  the  district  met  with  no  open  opposition. 
The  greatest  opposition  was  that  of  the  Escondido  Land  and  Town  Company  which 
owned  a  very  large  amount  of  land  in  the  district.  There  was  also  some  opposition 
from  those  who  did  not  care  for  water  on  their  lands. 

The  project  was  thoroughly  justified  from  an  agricultural  point  of 
view  and  the  land  within  the  district  is  of  excellent  quality  and  at  present 
yielding  good  returns.  The  San  Luis  Rey  River  was  at  that  time  very  largely 
unappropriated  and  the  district  was  therefore  in  a  position  to  secure  an  abun- 
dant water  supply. 

Inasmuch  as  those  opposed  to  the  district  were  large  landowners  wnose 
voting  power  was  not  in  proportion  to  their  pecuniary  interests,  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  district  went  forward  with  little  delay.  The  petition  for  organization 
was  granted  by  the  Board  of  Superviecrs  on  October    1889,  and  the  district  was 
declared  organized  on  November  £5,  1889. 

The  district  thus  formed  included  12 ,814  acres,  of  which  area  about 
1,000  acres  was  included  in  the  town  of  Esconcido,  about  2, COO  acres  was  entirely 
unfit  for  irrigation  by  reason  of  the  nature  of  the  soil  or  by  its  location 
above  the  contour  at  which  the  water  was  brought  in,  and  about  4,000  acres  would 
have  required  a  large  expenditure  to  make  the  land  fit  for  irrigation.  There 
was,  therefore,  an  area  of  about  6,000  acres  which  was  thoroughly  suited  to  the 


MS,  oil 


•  _..._ 


-  §«8I  ,cii 


'J  ogeill 


saJ-  'io   aauaoad  basx;.u>£-io  -IAW 
B   e^ovab  o-    olcfiasoc  ao   blifow  Ji 

i>o»  aJii/Tl   auiJ-ia    io 
i»  aeao.ii  dl  ^fi 
-QIC  9iii-  aaoqonq  o^ 
.  noxJ  iaoqqo  noqo  on 
nwoT 


bru>J  oiufcnocsii 
amos  o&Is  SAW  aieriT     .J 

,ab««l  ixa»if  no  TSJSW 
as  noT't 


Io  Jaioq  Lfi'n 

boe 

amid-  Jjutt  t*  a>;* 
na  eiuosa  o$  noisieoq  &  ai 


l  ooxbnooB'i  euT 
siiJ  ananwo   tfieqoiq  adt  Io 
lo  aox-ioqoiq  la^iaL 
rioiriw  tot   .flllflllp  as  iioiia  aqoio 
at,w  (aarioni  8  Io  bebiooei  mwalaia  JB 

arU'  ^A     .  rfa>.v.8'iO  .  X  .A  aew 
-  Io  i-^fi*  aaw  aoiJ-i8oqq.o  iaei-aai 
nJt  faruel  Io  J-auoiae  ayiBl  T19V  B  benwo 
^on  bib  orivr  asjoiii'  raoi'i 
ariT 


as-v 

to  ai  Joii^aib  aa^  nirii'iw  brtsl  eat  btui  weiv 
H  aiuj  osS  »riT     .amuJ5i  boog 
3jw  ^oivaib  erW1  boa 


aaoaw  8T9fl.70brusI  oa*tel  eiew 

j   ,3^8818^1 
iol  rtoij'ii'Qc;  anT 
a^  biu:   ,9681 


BJBW 


b  anj   oJ  jeaoqqo  eaoriJ"  a*  riqumasnl 

noiJToqoaq  ni  Joa  as*  nawoq  ^ 
bi/iwiol  Jnaw  J'oiiJ-sib  s»1^  Io 
no  a-xoaivigqjj^   Io  btBoS  and-   ^d 

.  £881  ,£S  TaJ-TiavovI  no  basioe^io 
J-uoa'j3  B8-i£  rioxriw  lo   ,39'ios  ^16,21  bsbylanx  bsnnol  aiKtf  ^oiiJ-aib  art! 

saiu£  000,5  tL-ocfjs   .obiunoosi  Io  at/of  oiit  ni  babi/Ioni  a0w  aaioa  000  «  I 
^ol  BJX  Yd  no  Ixoa   6itJ   Io  .niri-jsn  $4*  Io  aoaBsn  ^tf  noiJ-fi^iiix  10!  ^x 
.v  aertac  000,^  Juoaa  boa   ,ni  Jri^uona   s>;sr  taJ-ew  adj-  rioxriw  ^s  li/od'ooo  artt 

T     .  n  'ix  no't  jx'i   uael  e.i^  o;»sia  oi  aiujxbfleqxa  srt'i£l  £  ba*xxupai   svxi 


.»   Io  «QIA 


(2) 

development  by  irrigation.  Land  in  the  district  was  worth  from  $25  to  £70 

per  acre  and  was  held  in  small  tracts  of  from  5  to  50  acres  with  an  average 

.; 

of  about  10  to  20  acres .  More  than  half  of  trie  land  in  the  district  was  held 
by  the  Escondido  Land  and  Town  Company. 

The  district  planned  to  secure  water  from  the  San  Luis  Rey  River  and 
trict  '.-'s*.?\  *f     /***4  »**M*  is^vtc  *  d*tr»t 

to  store  it  in  a  reservoir  on  the  Von  Segen  branch  of  San  Eli jo  Creek,  about 
6  milee  from  the  town  of  Escondido.  The  use  of  this  reservoir  together  with 
other  auxiliary  reservoirs  was  recommended  by  James  C.  Schuyler,  C.  £.,  to 
utilize  the  waters  of  several  small  mountain  valleys;  namely,  Bear  Valley, 
!>;endenhall  Valley,  Quejito  Valley,  and  Daley  Valley,  besides  a  portion  of  the 

5   :•..'...   '-"•      -•'*•  •""•'  ,- 

north  elope  drainage  of  Pine  Kountain.  Mr.  Schuyler  estimated  the  cost  of 

there  reservoirs  and  connecting  ditches  and  tunnels  at  $363,636.40.  The  plan 
tifcftt  t  '»<  i*«pli*'  :**  <f  *1***» 

adopted  was  the  construction  of  the  reservoir  on  the  Von  Segen  branch  of  San 

Elijc  Creek.  A  loose  rock  fill  dam  faced  with  redwood  plank  was  built  to  a 
height  of  70  feet,  giving  a  capacity  of  3,500  acre  feet.  The  total  contract 
price  of  the  dam  was  £86,946  in  addition  to  $23,113  expended  for  the  purchase 

and  clearing  of  the  land  in  the  reservoir  site.  The  main  supply  of  water  was 
cat  tii*  f.«c»i*nrt  *a»  MA*  •'»  -•-  ->.  •••• 

brought  from  the  San  Luis  Rey  River  (in  Section  33,  T.  10  S.,  R.  1  £.)  by  means 

of  a  tunnel  356  feet  long,  ditch  and  flume,  a  second  tunnel  450  feet  long, 

v   .»  A* *?,   -/•.-.•..ec  »j«3 

and  thence  through  a  natural  channel  to  the  dam.  The  conduit  is  15.6  miles  in 
length  and  consists  of  67,287  feet  of  ditch,  14,142  feet  of  flume,  and  806  feet 
of  tunnels .  The  length  of  the  natural  channel  utilized  is  3  1/2  miles .  The 

:ulC  &&-•-  i.*4l   •  1«&  i*"-*  t..-.v*  "-•=•«  it 

capacity  of  the  conduit  is  28  second  feet  or  1400  miners'   inches  which  would 

fill  the  reservoir  to  the  70  foot  level  in  about  65  days*     The  total  cost  of 
Sio.CfcC  i.a  M-«*  **   rt<«   **»    *i**  ^**    rw******t>    ^*«wc  *i  ?w. 

the  conduit  was  $116,328.60. 

A    *  j-t- 

The  distribution  system  cost  $85,727.80  and  consisted  of  14.5  miles 
ex .- £e  *.  .    .  T  V15    uio  vivvric^*     Ii  was 

of  riveted  pipes  from  3  to  20  inchee  in  diameter,   2  miles  of  flume,  1.5  miles 

~i  •' 

of  vitrified  clay  pipe  and  cement  pipe,  and  13.5  miles  of  open  ditches,  a  total 

nf  51   ^  r-.-i  1  ae 


(s)       . 

OJ  3S3  moil  hJ-iow  a*w  J-sx-iJaxo  artf  nx  bnej     . 

ae  ajtivr  aeto*  32  o*  3  moil  lo  3JO.ETJ-  liems  nx  blail  *»w  boa  aioa  -teq 
ii  saw  JoxiJ-aio  ooJ-  nx  on*  I  suJ  lo  tJJsii  OBI.IJ-  sioM     .  aoToa  OS  ot  01  iuode  to 

::oO  nwoT  bru;  faotsj  obioaooBil  eaJ1  ^ 
fafts  iavi>i  \jeH  aiuJ  OBC!  aaj-  moil  T&-B*  aiuoae  oi  benftelq  ^oiiJsxb  ehl 

txia  rts^  lo  itofuj'id  aa^eS  ncV  oriJ1  ao  txovTssai  a  -ti  ii  910^9  o* 
iiovi633'i  siit;  io   ;-3;.'  aii'f     .abionoae^.  lo  nwo^  edJ-  coit  aelim  d 
oj"   ,.a  . 'J   ,'talxjuii°2  .3   aatru:!,  yd  bab^&TifficoeT  8«i#  anioviaaaT   ^£ilix 
,XBlIJB/  Tasa  ,Yla«i«n    ;axall»v  nipt; nuosa  ILfttza  letovsa   lo  8T»^£W  sol 
eril  lo  noi^ioq  *  saaxsua    ,Y6-tI«V  X0^-8^  b"*   jXa-f-tJ6^  oJj.teui'  i^ 

lo  jaoo  oriJ  ba»TRmJ^as  T9l^wrio8  .I'd     .flitt^niior:  eni1!  lo   og^-niaib  eqols 
nfilq  9iiT     .  0^.323,  C6£|  fa  alsntujf  brtK  aettetlb  gnijoannoo  boa  rzlovieaat 
rtai    Io  rl3fi.8TJ  n&33g  nov   out  ao  ixovrteesi   'Tj^  Io  noxTouiJenoo  sti^  9£w  bajqobfl 
B  oJ-  jiiuo'  3-T.<-  ^OBlq  boowbei  aj-iv.   b&o£l  fflfio  lii't  xaoi  saool  A     .Jldei 
Jon'ijnoo  IB^OJ"  oriT     .Jeal  BTOA  00fi,£  to  \^io^q«o  a  %aJLVi&  .^aal  0?   lo 
ea^xioiuq  aiti'  io't   bebfisrxc*  £11, 6^|  oJ-  noi^xjba  rtx   3* S,  68^  «>  #  m*so   actf  lo  eaxiq 
as*  lejaw  to  \Iqqjja  nlsm  otiT     .  atis  ixovieaeT  ertl  nx  arml  saJ1  lo 
-^  ««3  OX  .T  ,  ££  noitosa  nx)  ^&vxH  ifsH  axuj  o«a  sd^ 

o.te  lio^xb   ,^nol  J-sol   d££  l&nnuj   *s   lo 

ael          .  -I  ax  ^xubaoo  euT     .raeb  Qfij-  ot  lannisuo  J>7jj^*fi  e  ii§i;o-iri^   sonarW-  bas 
d08  bnB   ,anu<il  lo  ^»e't  Si'l,*!  ,fio*Jtb  lo  Jsal  ?8^,V3  lo  g^axewoo  ba&  riJ-^rtoI 
onT     .  ajlim  S\I  £  sx  besxlx^u  Isnosuo  IsiiJj-jBn  artf   lo  rW'^flOl  aiiT     .  aljnuu-   lo 

•nx   'a'laaxm  00*1  *io  j-eal  bnooea  8U  ex  Jxufanoo  siit  lo 

Ic  j.^oo  leJ-oj-  adT     .s>pBD  do  Jruo'Jfi  nx  L&v&S.  tool  0V  oof  of  Tiov^SBBT  •add' 

.  :.d.  8^2,311  j  e*w  Sluoao 

,iF»rt03  bnB  08.  VSV.584  Jaoo  arsj-eTja  noxiwo'x^aib  sdT 

aa J.-  a&Iirn  u   .lajaaaaxo  rsj.   .^^lOfu  OS  oJ"  £  atotl  a-joxq  be^svxi  lo 

is   ,  ':•  xci   \«Ir>  oaxlxiliv  lo 

2. IS  lo 


(3) 


The  total  cost  of  the  works  therefore,  was  about  $312,115.40. 

It  was  decided  August  18,  1390  to  issue  $450,000  in  bonds.  On 
technical  grounds  the  court  refused  tc  confirm  this  move  and  after  the  objection 
that  the  petition  was  made  by  directors  personally  and  not  by  board  as  a  dis- 
trict had  been  removed,  the  Superior  Court  of  San  Diego  County  issued  a  decree 
confirming  the  organization  and  the  issue  of  bonds  on  July  11,  1891.    This 
ieeue  of  bonds  was  based  on  the  first  estimate  of  James  D.  Schuyler,  Consulting 
Engineer,  which  was,  as  stated  above,  $363,636.40.  The  change  in  plan  and  the 
selection  of  the  San  Luis  Key  River  as  the  source  of  supply  led  to  a  reduction 
in  the  estimate  and  it  was  voted  to  reduce  the  amount  of  bonds  to  $250,000.  Later, 
on  blarch  9,  1895,  the  district  voted  (100,000  additional  bonds  on  an  estimate 
that  EO  much  above  4250,000  was  necessary  to  complete  the  system. 

The  bonds  were  sold  for  cash  at  90  cents  on  the  dollar  except  for 
$20,000  worth  traded  for  water  rights.  I.  £.  Doty  was  the  buyer  but  he  sold  them 
at  once  to  Kenry  W.  Putnam  of  New  York.  Doty  was  the  contractor  and  it  might 
appear  that  the  award  of  the  bonds  to  him  involved  some  questionable  transactions, 
but  the  payment  was  made  in  gold  coin  to  the  treasurer,  J.  h.  Anderson,  and 
Doty's  bid  was  the  lowest  of  several  competitive  bids  submitted.  Just  what 
relation  the  amounts  bid  bore  to  the  amounts  which  would  have  been  demanded  had 
the  proposition  been  on  a  purely  cash  basis,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  It  is 
claimed  that  the  cost  of  the  works  to  the  district  was  one-tnird  more  than  it 
would  have  been  unoer  a  cash  proposition,  and  this  is  born  out  by  the  statement 
that  Doty  sold  the  bonds  to  Putnam  at  about  75  cents  on  the  dollar.  The  sum  of 
$20,000  in  bonce  exchanged  for  the  reservoir  site  was  presumably  issued  at  par. 

having  disposed  of  the  bonds,  the  contract  lor  tne  construction  of  the 
works  was  let  and  carried  out  ana  water  was  delivered  to  the  dieirict.  It  was 
found,  however,  that  with  t£e  duty  of  3  acre  feet  fixed  by  the  oictrict,  only 
about  1,000  acree  could  at  once  be  irrigated.  The  annual  payment  necessary  to 


lo  Jcoo   Iwoj 

000,^         9j,«3BX  o*  «396I  ,81  J-ajj^uA  bebissi 

noiwoaj;cfo  artJ"  isJl^   b«£   avoffi  aiiij  nni'ifloo  o,fr  besiilai  J*xt;oo   ertt 
-aib  i  3£  based  xj   *0il  orus  ^Ilnnoanec  anojoaiib  xd   ebiau  saw 

bewaai  x 
aifiT         .  ISSI   ,11  ^lut  ao  abnoi  lo  tiuaax  aru  arts  noils sin^ 

.(I  a^nusl  lo   sJisr-iiJaa  «rBix't   siU  ao  bos£-J  asw  sbnod  lo 
bop  nslq  rti  agrusxio   sril     .  0£.  d£e,  £SSJ   ,  avoj*  oaJsJa  SB  ,B£V  auihw  ,  • 
iJODboT  B  oJ-  oel  Y^<?^2    ^  soiuos   aiil  a*  'isviR  ijen  aiuJ  os3  anl   lo 

.000,OcSy  o^   abnoi  lo  jrnuofB*   aai   aouba'i  oi  ba^ov  as*  ft  one  eJ^mUae  adj  «i 
j-^nsxi-aa  ne  no  sbaoi   IflnoxJ-ibbB  000,001|  bSoov  joi'uaxb  9iil   ,3681    ,6  lioih^I  no 
.aajsxa  en-    sj-alqcioo  oJ-   ^'LBB-aecan  s#w  OCW.Ofiit^  svodfi  iioi/m  oa  fftitt 
tol  Iqeaxs  i^IIob  edJ-  no  aJnao  0<?  ^  .1aeo  lol  bloa   sis*  qbaoa  e.iT 
bloa  oa  J-jjcf  i9\wd   stii  saw  ytod  .3.  .1     .  a^rt'axT  TQJBW  TO!  befasil  nd-iow  000,02$ 
ens  lOJ-o^tJnoo  sal  aaw  ^oCI     .  xioY  wsM  lo  aisnJ-ul  .W 
araoa  bavlovrtx  miri  ol  abaoa   arL    'to  biavwi 

bos  .noaiobnA  .H  .1  ,  tsiuai-Qif  *te  oj  .1x00  blog  nx  $bfim  auw  ^ndmiiflq  ertf 
jflriw  waul,  .  bsJ'J'xindjja  abxcf  svijij-equioo  Is-isvee  'lo  Isawol  ea'J-  -^w  bid 
aebnemab  aaed  av^ri  aiuow  doiriw  a^m/oniB  sal  oJ  9100  bid  uj-rujomB 
si  j-I  .  x»s  oJ-  alcfiaaoqmi  ai  J-i  ,8X3£d  rlaao  Tjleiwq  B  no  neacf  nox^iaoqoiq  aril 
i  oeaJ  atom  biiai'-eno  B^W  joiaiaxb  Qti^  ol  a^iow  ed-  'jo  j-aoo  ertf  JwriJ'  faemialo 
arU"  \<d  J'tro  mod  ax  axiir  bos  ,noi^iaoqoiq  ria£o  B  isbau  nssd  avjsd  blx/ow 
lo  ;>.JJB  axil  .  i."-IIoj  siiJ  no  aJnao  2T  i-wodfl  j^  aanjuH  oi  abnoa'  srid"  bloa  xJ"°Q  *Brtt- 
.  TjSq  te  ijei/asx  ^I-JfiiMjaeiq  axw  oj-xa  aiovnessi  aiij'  TO!  ba^osrioxe  abnocf  nx  000,  JS$ 
i^-  lo  rtoiJotmanoo  snd-  Tot  joaij-noo  6iiJ  ,abnod  eaj  lo  baaoqaib  ^niveri 

"   .<';/, 

8£w  J"!     . ,;  .:i^  oJ  beiavilsb  rusw  'isj^w  J.XB  tyo  bsimao  baa  j-el  isw  a^iow 

-.0   ,Jo.;  b^xii  ^rac-i   eioB  £  lo  \iub  arur  ni'xw  J'fiiif   ,ievewori  ,  bm/ol 

j.i  aano  ^  bluod  aaioo  000,1 


(4) 


cover  running  expenses  and  interest  on  the  bends  was  about  424,000,  of  which 
about  tlC, COO  was  paid  by  the  Escondido  Land  and  Town  Company,  and  as  this 
company  eoon  refused  to  pay  its  taxee,  the  load  thrown  upon  the  other  landowners 
wae  felt  to  be  too  heavy  to  be  borne  and  the  majority  of  them  ceased  paying 
district  taxes.  No  interest  wae  paid  on  the  bonds  for  some  years  and  the 
works  of  the  district  were  allowed  to  run  down.  Conditions  in  the  district  were 
very  bad.  Property  was  not  saleable  at  any  price  and  people  were  afraid  to 
make  improvements  as  they  were  uncertain  as  to  whether  or  not  they  would  lose 
their  property  to  the  bondholders . 

In  1904  proceedings  were  begun  for  an  adjustment  of  the  debt.  The 
bonds  with  their  unpaid  interest  amounted  to  about  $498,365  (January  1,  1905) 
and  were  all  held  by  H.  W.  Putnam,  then  of  San  Diego.  W.  h.  baldridge  secured 
an  option  on  the  bonds  providing  that  if  the  bondholder  received  £200,000  and 
interest  within  a  certain  time,  the  bonds  would  be  surrendered.  The  property 
owners  held  a  mass  meeting  and  appointed  and  Executive  Committee  of  fifteen  to 
aeviee  ways  and  means  of  raising  the  money.  It  was  decided  to  assess  all 
property  within  the  district  and  that  assessment  was  the  basic  of  the  amount 
that  each  property  owner  should  pay  towards  the  redemption  of  the  bonds.  At 
the  same  time  it  was  agreed  to  organize  a  mutual  water  company.  The  people  who 
paid  their  assessments  were  to  have  a  share  of  stock  for  each  dollar  paid  on 
their  assessment.  The  money  was  raised  on  this  plan.  The  levy  made  was  on  a 
basis  of  4G/£  of  the  assessed  value  of  the  property .  The  bondholder  received 
£208,000  and  £2C,COO  more  was  raised  to  repair  the  aitches,  etc.  The  bonds 
thus  became  the  property  of  the  Escondido  Mutual  Viater  Company,  the  stock  of 
which  \vas  held  by  those  who  had  paid  the  assessment,  and  this  company  trans- 
ferred the  bonds  to  the  Irrigation  District  in  exchange  for  its  property.  In 
tnis  way  the  debts  of  tne  district  were  cancelled  and  its  dissolution  made 
possible.  A  provisional  decree  of  dissolution  was  entered  by  Judge  N.  h. 


rtff  lo   ,  000,>S?  fuel**  QKW  ajnoo   &iis  no  fasinttu.  ba*   asendqxa  gniruwn 
BJrfj  3JS  bfiB   ,  Tjrwc./noO  rwruT  one  urwsj  obxonooal  eii*   \d  biscr  saw  000.  Oli 
aTsa-jfobm-1  isiuo   arij   noqu  nwoiitJ    ..j.ci   -.-.iJ   ,  aaxusj  aJx   \v;v    oi    ;a  ,;:;•;   nooa 

£fiXY£q  baa£<50  modi   'io   '^tiio\,aai  atif  baa  emoo'  QJ  ol   -^vaaii  oo^  »d  ot  Jls":  aew 

aril  bn«  eteox  sraos  10^   -ibnod  eaJ1  «c  aijgc  SB*  j-saiaJrii  o-l 
siaw  j'oiij'aib   n:ii  ui  enoxJibfJoO     .nwoo  HJJT  o*    i>8v?oilB   smo*  J">ii*aio  e^   lo 

a/is  eoiiq  Y"^  **  6ld&&Laa  too.  a*w  ^J 
jotx  10  Terijdrfw  oJ  ai:  ni£JT9Dno  »•}&«  ^artj    a^- 


eriT     .Web   e/lJ-  lo  j-namj-aut&js  (is  'iol  nugaJ  e-;»i«  aaaibsatoiq  £0€I  nl 
(5091   ,1  ^liii/oal)   2dt,Qt£$  j-uoifi   ol  ba«noorn*  J-aeteJai  bi.Bqnjj  liarU  d^iar  efanod 
fasnuosa  ayb.oh.DscI  .ri  .v/     .  o-3exd  oe3  lo  nenJ-   ,nrB«tt/^[  ^W  .H  \d  bls.i  11^5   die*  boa 
bae  000«OOS5   bs'/xaoei  labioabnod   aiU  'ti  JfiOt  gnibivone  abnoo   eiij  no  ncjcjqo  OB 
^J-'iaqoiq  ariT     .  bei8bnsTu.'8   acf  bli/ow  ebnocf  aal   ,  ewid1  «i£^i»o  B  nin^ivr 
oJ-  n93*'tjti  lo   aeJ'J'immoO  evij  •  oa.<  ;  orus  jaj-iuoc;'c*  JPU    ^ai^aacn  esjain  «  olari 
HJQ  aaoa-y   oj-  oebioob  3£«ir  ji     .  ^enoa:  enj-  -jflxaiei  lo  aoeaa:  bAB  a\«w 
jnjjoaifi  &fit   to  aisad  eriJ  aww  Jnanreaoaaje  i'urtd'  one  /oi'tJ-sib  sn.d'  nirttxw 
JA     .sbf.od  SiU   io  noii-C£nebeT  sdj1  ib'JewoJ   x**!  blt/oria  ionwo 
onw  slqoac  eaT     .^tBqmoo  TSJ^W  IBW-WD  B  esi«»ijio  oj-  b&anya  SBW  jx   omx^   aniBa 

no  bijeq  ifllXofa  rio/!9  nol  jioci-3  lo  9-sjsua  ^  evBii  ot  enew  aJrier.aaoaajB 

*  1*6  UMP  abBtn  \vol  8,1?     .  :t  j'.r   ein^  no  baaim  esw  \enom  c-i.T 

bsvxQoai  lablorfbnod  ari'f     .  \^T&qotq  afiJ   IQ   eulfiv  L  -ssvafis  edJ    lo  )^0£  lo   axes: 

abnocf  sitf     .  s^a  .asrtoj-xo  aa^  alfjqeT  ol  baaijn  as*  aiom  0'30,OS4  bne  000,802^ 

lo  xoojg  a;i^   ,-^iBfiffloO  letBtf  iBtiW  obxbflooaa  ati^  lo  Ytiaqoiq  srtj   aoBoacf  eJUflt 

-en/cvu    x*115^^00  3ifi-   faru?   ,  JTfamaBas^B  srU  biscr  i»j:ri  oriw  s-aortJ    ^cf  bled  asw  rioinw 

nl     .  Y^aqotrf  aJi  nol  a^nflnoxe  nl  J-ox-UaiU  noi^/^nil  e.-W  oJ1  ebnod  0ht  betial 

sb^ra  «oi^u!oT«ixb  aJ-i  ^na  fat  o   e'tew  j-aiiJ-aib  arif   io  *rdsfa  9iit  y&tr  airii1 

Toab  iBnoxaxvot-  [c/x«saoq 


(5) 


Conklin,  Superior  Judge  of  San  Diego  County,  on  HaySl,  1905,  to  be  made  final 
when  all  details  of  settlement  were  completed. 

The  litigation  of  the  district  was  not  very  extensive.  There  were  a 
few  suits  regarding  right  of  way  matters,  but  these  were  of  little  consequence. 
There  wae  also  a  persistent  attack  on  the  district  by  the  Escondido  Land  and 
Town  Company  represented  by  Geo.  h.  Maxwell,  who  attacked  tax  levies,  tax  sales, 
and  the  legality  of  the  district.  In  these  matters  the  district  was  as  a  rule 
successful.  The  most  important  suit  was  that  of  the  Merchants  National  Bank 
of  San  Diego  v.  Escondido  Irrigation  District,  144  Cal .  332.  The  bank  held  two 
trust  deeds  to  secure  two  series  of  bonds  for  $250,000  and  $100,000  respectively. 
Upon  default  in  interest  payments  the  bank  took  possession  of  the  property  and 
commenced  suit  for  foreclosure  and  sale,  but  the  defendant  (the  district)  got 
judgment  in  its  favor  in  the  Superior  Court  of  San  Diego  County.  On  appeal 
the  Supreme  Court  affirmed  the  decision  of  the  lower  court  on  August  3,  1904, 
so  that  the  bondholders  found  the  trust  deeds  of  no  avail  in  their  attempt  to 
secure  possession  of  the  property. 

Under  the  ^scondido  L'utual  Water  Company  the  district  has  prospered, 
although  even  now  only  about  1,000  acres  of  land  are  being  irrigated  and  there 
is  n.uch  dissatisfaction  with  conditions .  The  control  of  the  company  has  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  a.  few  large  stockholders  who  use  tneir  power  to  further  their 
OV.TI  interests  anc  wno  cieal  arbitrarily  with  the  applications  of  otners  for  water. 
Tne  community  is,  however,  a  very  prosperous  one.  Land  is  worth  from  fc?5  to  $150 
per  acre  for  unimproved  land  susceptible  of  irrigation.  Improved  land  is  worth 
from  fc25C  to  $1,000  per  acre.  The  value  of  the  land  without  water  (for  grain 
farming)  would  be  something  like  J25  per  acre ,  as  a  basis  upon  which  it  would 
earn  a  percentage  upon  the  investment.  The  size  of  holdings  is  now  even  smaller 
than  at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  district.  The  land  and  Town  Company 
has  reduced  its  holdings  of  land  within  the  irrigable  part  of  the  district  very 


ijsn.il  asjea  ed  o*   ,aOCl   ,I£\pM  no   ,  ^nroO  ogaxa  £«53  lc   ogbt'l. 

. batelqmoo  ei»w  jnems  1^0-3   lo  alxeJab  Ilfl  ash* 
9-1  ertT     .  8Via.ct0Jx9  Y*8V  Jofl  8ii'*  J'JiiJaib  site   lo  noxJ-sgJtfxI  aril 

iJ-Jxl  lo  ertav  saafiJ-  d-ud  ,  rtetf;r«n  Y*^  'to  Jda-to  sni^Bgei  stlu*  wsl 
obibncoa;!  aitt  "^  Joli^aifr-  9ri*  «o  ^oalt*  J-n^aiaiaq  £  oele  a^»  eterlT 


aim  a  as  asw  Jox-waxo  eut  ai&t jjsm  aae.it  «I     .Joi'rtaxis  fitf   lo 

.rtf  lo  i&iit  «j8w  jxua  jni-^Toqiiii  -aos:  eriT     .  lulaaaooua 

000,0011  onus  000, 3fiS|  rrol  abaod  lo  aai'iea  ow*    8ru;o»3  o^  aboab 

lo  fldiB39fir-:op  jioo^  Jiruad  erii-  aJ-nt»m\jj^  d'asT-jjnx  ax  -l^js'tab  aoqU 
ertr)  ifBSb«al«b  etir  luJ   .olss  arue  eiuaeloaiol  -iol  J-xua  beoaenanoo 
.TjlntoO  ogeiCI  a»8  lo  i"iucw  ToiioquS  add-  «x  iovj-1  aix  ni 
,&0f?'I  ,S  JauguA  ao  d'TUoo  iswol  aiii"  lo  noxaxoeb  s»U   bacnillja  d"xi;oO 
o^  :;  lieri*  ai  Iljaws  on  lo  abaei  Jejrtf  add-  bnua't  majlodbnod 

.  xJ-iaqcnq  *dj.  lo  noiaaaaaoq 
,b©';  ii  J-oiii-axb  arid-  ^{nusq 

an  .  .      .         .:j.BMX"nx  §nx«d  91B  hnel  lo  aanoe  000,1  fyo:ffl  \irto  wea 
nsj  .r^qmoo  aiiJ  lo  xVtfnoo  eaiT     .  anoxliontoo  riiiw  nox^ofilBX^aaaxb  iiowm  »1 

lawor.  'ixe.td'  ssjj  oriw  sieilociaaoi'a  ag'usl  wsl  s   lo  adnari  arid"  o^ni 
10  8noj.J"«3Xlqq«  aM^  fitxw  ^ixi»l^idia  I*9J  oa^  ijae  aiaeaa^ax  awo 
iow  «jfe  ofijEiJ     .  aao  euoiaqaoiq  -^isv  a   .aavawou  ,  ax  ^jUuHtimoo  8iiT 

1     T9J-BW    J-yOim  f    bflBl    6:;.      .         -:.'IfiV    C.-  3B    19q    000,1  TJOll 

bl  y  aiafiJ  «  «JB 

i9l.  i  ax  a^nxbloii  lo  .  JB  aisa 

Yfii  bJtB  boBl  ariT     .  J^i  10  noi.JjBsxfuBg'Jo  atfe  lo  *••- 

..  lo  a.. iflxfaloil  aJx 


(6) 


much.  Tracts  now  run  from  5  to  15  acres.  The  principal  crops  are  citrus  fruits, 

?£  -s^-.  .  AJ.^  i"  '-Cr   ••»» 

and  considerably  more  alfalfa,  etc. 

It  appears  that  the  failure  of  this  district  to  continue  in  active 
operation  as  a  district  was  due  to  two  causes:  (1)  the  deeire  of  the  Escondido 
Land  and  Town  Company  to  destroy  the  district,  wr.ich  it  felt  was  detrimental 
to  its  interests,  and  (2)  the  desire  of  certain  men  to  change  from  the  district 
form  of  organization  to  the  mutual  form  in  vrhich  the  controlling  influence  would 
lie  with  those  who  controlled  the  majority  of  the  property  instead  of  with  the 

»-.  a*  i  r  n^  I/ 

majority  of  the  voters  as  under  the  district.  These  influences  were  powerful 
enough  to  bring  about  a  default  ir.  the  payment  of  interest  and  a  depressed 

condition  of  affairs  and  finally  an  adjustment  which  destroyed  the  district  and 

,  fes.-J  Cli'  F:i-it.   fi&«  &"-OE?ti-r  -t  *  r'  <••; 
set  up  the  desired  mutual  company  organization. 


aqo*i»  iaqiaaiiq  aiiT     . agio*  ci  ctf  c 

.0^3   .allaljji   &IQCJ  \IcfjFfJ9oiait03  boa 

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FALLBRCOK  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
San  Diego  County  -  Organized  April  6,  1891  -  Area  12, COO  acres. 

The  district  around  Fallbrook  was  settled  by  a  number  of  people  from 
the  Kast  who  were  not  familiar  with  southern  California  conditions  and  who  felt 
that  they  must  get  water  and  have  irrigation  to  secure  good  returns  from  their 
agriculture.  The  conditions  in  the  district,  as  regards  topography  were  not 
well  suited  to  irrigation  for  it  is  a  hilly  country  and  norover,  it  would  nave 
been  necessary  to  condemn  a  dam  site  and  water  supply. 

Those  foremost  in  promoting  the  district  were  farmers  resident  there, 
among  whom  were  Eartlett,  Scott,  A.  F.  Gate,  Charles  Richardson,  Filincre  Neff , 
II.  Tomlin,  Eugene  Fallis,  and  Crin  Rice.  The  opposition  came  from  the  large 
landowners  of  whom  the  Palomares,  represented  by  Lee  &  Scott  of  Los  Angeles,  were 
the  largest  holders,  with  about  2, SCO  acres. 

The  district  was  organized  on  April  6,  1891  and  the  directors  began 
to  cast  about  for  a  source  of- water  supply.  It  was  proposed  to  dam  the  Santa 
Margarita  River  near  Fallbrook,  but  this  was  not  adopted.  The  plan  preferred 
was  to  builc  a  reservoir  on  Temecula  Creek,  the  dam  to  be  40  feet  high.  lor 

this  purpose  a  bond  election  was  held  on  November  £8,  1891  and  $400, OCO  worth 

i         :, '..  . 
of  bonds  voted.  The  directors  then  applied  for  confirmation  of  the  bonds. 

Attorney  J.  R.  Scott  on  behalf  of  H.  B.  Abila  as  guardian  for  certain  minors, 
intervened  and  contested  both  the  proceedings  for  the  formation  of  the  district 
and  also  those  for  tae  issuance  of  the  bonds,  fie  was  joined  by  a  number  of 
other  landowners  in  the  district.  The  Superior  Court  of  Pan  Diego  County  gave 

"•  f 

judgment  in  favor  of  the  district,  on  February  27,  1893.  Abila  appealed  to  the 
Supreme  Court,  which  reversed  the  judgment  and  cent  the  case  back  for  a  new 
trial.  The  point  at  issue  was  tne  sufficiency  of  the  signatures  to  the  petition 
for  organization.  After  the  second  trial,  Judge  E.  S.  Torrence  of  San  Diego 


•L.  11017* -j-raj: 

.  3Q10B  003,^1  Jse-iA   -  letl    ,3   IxiqA 


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(2) 


County  on  April  6,  1898  declared  the  district  illegally  organized  and  the  pro- 
ceedings null  and  void.  The  Court  found  that  the  petition  was  not  signed  by 
fifty  freeholders,  and  that  certain  other  technical  omissions  had  been  made. 

In  the  meantime  and  prior  to  the  decision  last  mentioned,  the  case  of   , 
!:aria  K.  Bradley  v.  Fallbrook  Irrigation  District  was  brought  to  the  U.  S.  Cir- 
cuit Court  for  the  purpose  of  quieting  title  against  sales  made  of  the  land  for 
delinquent  assessments  levied  by  the  district  for  the  purpose  of  paying  expenses, 
and  to  restrain  the  issuance  of  a  deed  on  those  assessment  sales.  Judge  Rose 
rendered  a  decision  on  July  22,  1895  declaring  the  Wright  Act  unconstitutional 
and  void  as  depriving  the  landowners  of  their  property  without  due  process  of 
law.  The  district  then  appealed  to  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  which 
reversed  Judge  Ross's  decision  and  sustained  the  constitutionality  of  the  act, 
which  was  the  only  point  involved  in  the  case  (164  U.  S.  174). 

The  district  did  not  have  any  marked  effect  on  the  prosperity  of  the 

»   •  4  j  '  t  '  '  '  ff  ••"••-  r  • 

community.  It  did  have  a  bad  effect,  however,  in  stirring  up  factional  strife. 

\Yhether  or  not  the  district  would  have  succeeded  if  it  had  been  able 
to  ertablieh  its  validity  in  the  courts,  it  is  hard  to  say,  but  it  ceems  likely 
that  the  high  cost  of  bringing  water  on  the  land  which  the  broken  nature  of  the 
country  would  have  made  necessary,  and  the  fact  that  there  was  no  abundant 

^.e\A  1*«vt  *  •<  >••'  j'r>  -  •  "•-'*''  '  !••  f*.  •  .» 

water  supply  readily  available,  would  have  proved  great  obstacles.  The  Temecula 
Creek  fron  which  it  was  proposed  to  take  water  is  tributary  to  the  Santa  Margarita 
River  vnich  flows  through  the  Santa  V.argarita  Ranch.  Tne  owners  of  this  ranch 
would,  in  all  probability,  have  attempted  to  prevent  trie  acquisition  of  appro- 
priation rights  by  the  district,  and  as  riparian  owners,  would  very  probably  have 
succeeded  in  restraining  the  district  from  rr.aking  any  appropriations  unless  their 
rights  were  first  condemned. 


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aib  8n«    giiiiiiiid'QOT  ni  babeaocue 
.bannebnoo  taiil:  9*ja» 


GLEKDCRA  IRRIGATION  DIFIKICT. 
LOB  Angeles  County  -  Organized  January  25,  1692  -  Area  3,000  acres. 

Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  Glendora  Irrigation  District,  the 
town  of  Glendora  had  teen  laid  out  by  the  Glendora  Townsite  Company  and  the 
exclusive  right  to  supply  the  town  of  Glendora  and  the  Glendora  tract  with  water 
had  been  reserved  to  the  Glendora  Water  Company.  !,Jr .  G.  D.  Whitcomb  was  presi- 
dent of  both  companies.  The  Glendora  Water  Company  was  not  successful  in 
securing  an  adequate  supply  of  water  and  such  as  was  furnished  was  unfit  for 
domestic  use  and  insufficient  in  quantity  for  irrigation.  I/any  landowners 
had  planted  trees  and  were  obliged  to  haul  water  in  tank  wagons  to  keep  them 
alive .  In  order  that  the  community  might  develop  and  become  a  fruit  raising 
section  it  was  necessary  that  a  more  satisfactory  water  supply  should  ce  obtained 
and  it  was  felt  that  the  organization  of  an  irrigation  district  under  the  Y.'right 
law  would  be  the  most  satisfactory  method.  The  movement  was  launched  by  those 
owning  land  in  the  district,  the  largest  tract  containing  only  20C  acres  and 
the  average  being  about  40  acres.  Mr.  Whitcomb  offered  to  sell  the  existing 
plant  to  tr.e  district  when  its  organization  should  have  been  completed. 

The  pnysical  conditions  within  the  district  were  favorable  to  the 
plan  as  the  land  was  of  the  highest  quality  and  has  since  been  planted  with 
orange  and  lemon  trees  with  entire  success.  Land  without  water  was  worth 
about  £25  per  acre  for  grain  farming,  while  with  water  it  was  worth  several 
hundred  dollars  per  acre.  Less  than  200  acres  were  being  irrigated  at  that 
time . 

The  district  was  declared  organized  January  25,  1892,  the  vote  having 
been  88  for  organization  and  2  against.  The  area  included  was  3,000  acres  of 
irrigable  land,  all  of  the  beet  quality. 

The  organization  completed,  the  district  voted  bonds  in  the  amount 


* 


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n«ccc    a.ij    v 


-sol 


CI+.     'i^J  AU^ 


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es  rxX 


(2) 


of  $70,000  and  proceeded  to  negotiate  for  a  water  supply.  The  directors  wished 
to  secure  water  from  a  tunnel  just  north  of  Claremont  College,  which  was  owned 
by  Fleming  and  Becket  of  Pomona.  L.  Friel  of  Los  Angeles  was  employed  as 

engineer  and  he  made  a  survey  and  prepared  plans  for  the  system.  The  tunnel 

• 

which  it  was  proposed  to  purchase  was  at  that  time  yielding  a  flow  of  100  miners' 
inches  and  is  now  running  30  inches. 

At  this  point,  however,  opposition  arose.  Whitcomb  had  secured  the 

.,-;c  he?  '  fS 

election  of  his  son,  Carroll  S.  Whitcomb,  as  a  director,  and  seemed  to  wish  to 
dictate  to  the  board  of  directors  the  policy  which  they  should  pursue  in 

'  .•- -  fc   -  •-  .•  •      ';.~   .**,*/. 

developing  water,  he  proposed  the  construction  of  a  dam  in  I>alton  Canyon  but 
the  directors  rejected  this  plan  on  account  of  the  excessive  steepness  of  the 

canyon  and  the  porous  nature  of  the  soil  and  rock  at  the  reservoir  site .  They 

o»v.vr~  '•'fell: 01  ala  u's  ~*.  IF 

thought  that  the  steepness  would  make  the  construction  of  a  dam  too  expensive 
and  the  the  porous  character  of  the  formation  would  cause  an  excessive  loss  of 

'-s.'  -  AC ' 

water  by  percolation.  This  action  of  the  board  of  directors  seems  to  have 
turned  \Yhitcomb  against  the  district  for  when  the  directors  met  with  him  in  Los 
Angeles  to  exchange  bonds  for  the  property  of  the  Glendora  ftater  Company,  he 
demanded  that  each  director  become  personally  liable  for  the  amount  of  the  bonds 
so  transferred.  This  they  indignantly  refused  to  do.  Whitcomb  then  brought  suit 
to  have  the  bond  issue  declared  illegal  and  appealed  to  the  Supreme  Court  from 
an  adverse  decision  of  the  Los  Angeles  County  Superior  Court.  In  the  Supreme 
Court  the  bond  issue  was  held  invalid  on  the  ground  that  the  district  had  at 
the  time  of  voting  the  bond  issue  no  definite  plan  for  securing  water. 

After  the  adverse  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  the  plan  of  proceeding 
under  the  Wright  law  was  given  up  and  the  district  became  inactive.  i»o  bonds 
had  been  issued  and  the  obligations  had  been  settled  by  assessment  so  that  no 
indebtedness  is  or  has  been  outstanding  against  the  district.  It  is  still 
legally  existent  although  not  active. 


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.  aeaoru  08  ^ninnvrj  -.vert  si  bae  serioni 


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lo  n£lq  sxi^  JiiroO  eraenqt'S  add-   lo  ncieioeb  eeievb*  snj   nejl/v 
;   o*i     .eviJ'cflni   amfoecf  Jazilsjib  srii"  bn£  qjj  n&vjc3  anw  w£l  Jri^jciiiV  ©rU1  tsbntr 
or.  OB  irtaniseoeaa  \ti  bel^lee  nsecf  b/iri  anoij/'^xlcfo  sdi  bne  bet/sal  neeo 


ori^ 


(3) 


After  the  district  discontinued  activity  a.  mutual  water  company 
known  as  the  Glendora  Mutual  Water  Company  was  organized  (for  the  people  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  l^hitcomb's  company)  and  wells  were  sunk  in  the  San  Bimas 
wash  on  the  San  Jose  Rancho  and  a  splendid  water  supply  obtained.  The  company 
headed  by  Yihitcomb  has  changed  its  name  to  the  Glendora  Irrigation  Company  and 
is  also  supplying  some  land  within  the  district.  \Vith  irrigation  thus  secured 
the  land  holdings  have  become  even  smaller  in  unit  size  tnan  at  the  time  of 
the  district  organization,  and  now  average  about  20  acres.  Oranges  and  lemons 
are  raised,  about  25CO  acres  being  irrigated  within  the  district.  Unplanted 
land  is  worth  about  $500  per  acre ,  whilo  land  in  bearing  groves  is  worth  from 
$1,COO  to  42,000  per  acre  and  some  of  it  is  held  as  high  as  4.3,000  per  acre. 
The  section  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  southern  California  and  it  is 
thought  by  those  familiar  with  its  development  that  a  like  result  would  have 
been  obtained  under  the  Y/right  Act  district  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  opposition 
of  Vhitcomc . 


.-j  18J-.EW  Imtfus:  /<  x 
bl  arid-  iol)  bosin-c^to 

suJ-  nJc  arura  eiew  alle.v 
enT     .  oonicw  GO  \Iqt>'t! 


ijftJBqKtoO  l 


bitonslqe 


O  edJ  e*> 

ivff  fill//  ob  oJ-  ;jflid^on  evaci 
ru?  OUOK*J/;  ^sol  rusS  siij  no  rfs£» 


bn* 


oj 


Ho  eoixd' 


f&  nsnit  ssie  Jinu  nl 
.SOIOB  OS 


eraoe  ^fli^cquB  OB!P  «3i 
nyve  amcosa   evsa  8:.«iblori  brtel 
yon  bros  , 


tpoil  'rf^-iow  as.   Sdve'i^  ^itiiji&d  ni  i.-iel  olxhur  ,«noB  neq  002  1  ^UOOJE  "ri^io*  ax 

.  d'iO£  T&t.  000,  £$  8£  .i^iii  a*  bleri  si  ^i   Ic   earoa  jrt£  eice  iaq  000,  S§  oJ-  000,1$ 

si  j~i  but-  i-imolxXs'^  nii-tiduoe  ru   BifC'seqtjoit;  J'son:  Stia  Ic   snc   ai  ftoi^oae  sriT 

8V.,  -  ./  J-Iuas'i  ealxl  £  fi.itf  J'neiiiqolsvau  sJ-j;  ii^isr  ifdLinj'l  eeoriJ   ^cf  j-rfgyori* 

xsoqqro  t>rl^  nol  nesc  i-Ois  bsfi  Ji  li  j-oi'uaib  ^oA  Jri^xiV:  aiij  lebnu  bonx^j'^o  iieocf 

lo 


GRAPELAND  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
San  Bernardino  County  -  Organized  August  4,  1890  -  Area  10,600  acres. 

•:•>.    Cli  a^,u,    o. 


The  promoters  of  the  Grapeland  Irrigation  District  were  the  owners  of 
land  within  the  district.  The  land  was  held  in  tracts  of  from  40  to  160  acres, 
having  been  acquired  by  direct  patent  from  the  government  or,  in  the  case  of 
odd  sectione,  from  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.,  and  the  amount  not  yet 
patented  at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  district  was  1360  acres.  The 
largest  tract  in  single  ownership  was  one  of  1520  acres  held  by  D.  G.  Scofield. 
Mr.  Scofield,  while  not  among  those  most  active  in  promoting  the  district,  was 
in  favor  of  the  move  and  announced  hie  intention  of  subdividing  his  tract  after 
the  formation  of  the  district. 

The  opposition  to  the  district  wc^a  on  the  part  of  the  Semi  Tropic 
trict  according!;'         •  H  :  **  &  -*f  ,  =   .;.;*  ...  .       ?<v  *,  ..<.  - 
Land  and  '«ater  Company  which  was  at  that  time  organizing  the  Citrus  Belt  Irri- 

gation District  and  which  proposed  to  take  water  from  the  same  source  as  that 

v"  .  .V   : 

proposed  for  the  Crapeland  district,  namely  Lytle  Creek.  All  the  landowners 
within  the  Grapeland  district  were  in  favor  of  the  district  and  the  Semi  Tropic 
Company  procured  a  certain  J.  F.  Harmon  who  occupied  160  acres  of  unpatented 
government  land  within  the  district  and  who  was  employed  by  the  company  as  a 
zanjero,  to  tring  suit  against  the  district,  harmon  fought  the  organization  of 

•  •"  y  '. 

the  district  and  the  confirmation  of   the  bonds,  but  was  defeated  in  each  case. 
The  land  within  the  district  wae  worth  about  415  per  acre  without 

mater.     Immediately  after  the  organization  of  the  district  the  price  rose  to 

...  .  *.-.  i-  *f 
about  £75  per  acre  w^ich  was  evidently  a  fair  price  with  water  available.     A  few 


,  peaches  and  apricots  had  been  raised  within  the  district  but  the  amount 
of  land  irrigated  was  very  small. 

The  petition  for  the  organization  of  the  district  was  presented  to  the 
Supervisors  on  June  2,  1890  j  the  election  on  organization  was  held  July  24,  1890 


OOQtOI 


*~. 

-  0(?6X   ,  *» 


lo  e'^amrc  u.»j   eiew  JoiTidsia  nox*;  sx-nl  bn*I«qi?iC  edd-  Ic  artojoeoiq 
«ee*Joe  061  of  G£  moil   lo  aJof.tj-  flx  bla»1  SAW  b«*I  arfT     .  Jc.t'id'sxk  vdt 

to  e^ao   t>iifr  ax    ,10  wfiecirievoa  sn^  mcil  Jnsjr:c   j"36ij:o  Y^  i>fciii/po£  noe-cf  gnivrrf 

3-&\-  JOK  i-nwonx   911*   bffi   ,.(D  .3  .H  ol'tlofS  fti&rtJ'L.oS  artJ-  roTl   . 
eriT     .^i-iojB  Odtl  aE*r  d-oiitfeiD  sriJ    to  noidx  single?  ;ia^  ^o  amiJ-  aitj- 

.i>  .0  vi  blea  sssioje  OScI  lo  snc  &£w  qiiJ5ierr*o  sl^iiit:  rsl  . 

t*8i«-»it)  »d*  sAijonoiq  ni   fevxjos  J-aow  eaotU  ^norrsE  fon  sliriii?  ,bleiloo8  .  iM 
i&ila  JOAIJ   siri  rjnioivibcfi.'e  io  noi^n^Kl  gi.'.  taonuor-ftr.  bite  evom  sri*  lo  novsl:  ni 

.  Jc-iiraift  &A3   to  ncl^rcicl  and1 
aul   lo  J*i£q  enj-  no  stw  ^oii^sxt)  ant  off  ncttivoqciQ  ariT 

*.  BBW  risxiiw  xoeqtoo^  TSj-jsW  bnjB  fanej 
beeoqonc  i-ioiuw  bn«  Joi^*siQ  001^*3 
jO  ali^J  ^JooiBfi   ,^oliJsj;i)  tofwIeqaiG  &4-   -»o'i  bseoqoiq 
ian*  JoJiusib  eritf   lo  TOV/-!  «i  e-iew  jcxusib  baeXeqiTO  ei 
adTO£  061  beiquooo  orfw  noanB.i  .IT  .1  nx/3i-Teo  £   Jostuocnq 


JleH 


oxqoiT 


JB  tJE  vutqmco   siU   xd  iie'cclcme  8£w  criv/ 
noiJtsiaa^io  end    JT^JJO!  flotnja 
8n.K3  rio«9  ni   bsJ-^slsb  oev,'  J'cd  ,ai>flod  eiif   lo 

juoriiiw  eiofi  Teq  21^  j-ifodfi  fiJ-icw  aew 
od-   SSCT  ^^j.^q  and-  d'oii.J's.tfc  snj  lo 
A     .eldflli*v«  T^J^W  ri^xw  soiiq 


b  arid-  nxrii-Jw  iw.Pl 


ilnco  edt  boe 
9  ill  ftxriliw  bruel  edT 
s»iid-  i&ils  Ylsd-/<ibe.TTn:I 
rfoxaw 


orij  iud  J-jiidoxb  Siid-  nxrilxw  beEX£T  need  o^il  a^ooxiqi   bnB  aari 


lo 


oj  fao^neaeiq  a^w  d^oix'-elb  arid1  lo  noi^j»sxn*aio  »x^  10! 

o     noiJ-.  ;        I   ,S  ani-'t  no 


and  a  vote  of  31  to  0  was  cast  in  favor  of  organization,  and  on  August  4,  1890 
the  district  was  declared  organized.  The  entire  area  of  10,600  acres  included 
in  the  district  represented  irrigable  land  which  when  cleared  of  brush  and  boulders 
was  exceedingly  well  suited  to  profitable  agriculture . 

The  directors  at  once  began  to  look  for  a  water  supply  and  were  assisted 
by  J.  B.  Pope,  F.  C.  i' inkle ,  and  James  I.  Schuyler,  as  engineers.  Pope  examined 

*  /  ***P   "  »•»!»*• 

sites  for  reservoirs  in  Parish  Canyon  and  at  Sycamore  Flat  but  found  them  unsatis- 
factory .  They  were,  however,  deemed  a  sufficient  basis  for  an  estimate  of  the 
bond  issue  and  it  was  fixed  at  4200,000. 

The  directors  then  entered  into  negotiations  with  A.  5.  Hotchkiss  and 
W.  G.  Daniel,  who  claimed  to  own  water  rights  on  Lytle  Creak,  and  agreed  to 
purchase  from  them  3,000  inches  of  water  at  0150  per  miners'  inch  (payable  in 
bones),  hotchkiss  and  Daniels  were  only  able  to  develop  20  incnes  and  the  dis- 
trict accordingly  transferred  to  them  $3,000  in  conds  in  exchange  for  a  deed  to 
•u.is  water.  Hotchkiss  and  Daniels  were  to  go  ahead  and  develop  more  water,  but 
they  claimed  that  they  lacked  the  capital  necessary  and  offered  to  sell  their 
rights  to  the  district  so  that  it  might  develop  the  water.  A  report  on  storage 
rscervoirs  on  Lytle  Creek  was  secured  from  J.  D.  Schuyler  and  a  report  on  a 
tunnel  which  should  be  driven  under  Lytlo  Creek  from  the  poini  known  as  the 
"lower  narrows"  was  secured  from  F.  C.  i inxle  .  Inis  latter  plan  was  considered 
the  most  feasible  on  account  of  its  lower  cost  (estimated  at  $134,900).  The 

•  %*  -XI*  v  |   <  9 

rights  of  hotchkics  and  Daniels  were  purchased  for  an  additional  ^25,000  in 
bonds,  making  a  total  of  $23,000  in  bonds  u*ansf erred  to  them  in  exchange  for 
water  rights.  The  works  undertaken  under  the  proposed  plan  were  2850  feet  of 
tunnel,  8900  feet  of  main  canal,  and  65  'idles  of  lateral  ditches. 

As  before  stated,  Jas .  F.  Karmon,  acting  for  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  and 
Water  Company .contested  the  organization  of  the  district  on  the  ground  tnat  a 
district  could  not  be  organized  so  as  to  include  unpatented  government  land 
and  that  no  bonds  could  be  issued  in  a  district  including  such  land  within  its 


0£8i   , 


nc.   oru.    .noxtesxriB.i'ic   'to  -TOVJ-/I  ni 

OOd,Jl  lo  ^sijj   sixJ-fls  gill     . 
c    'io   bftfcslo  netiv  .ioiu.v  brus! 


bite 

.  a'li.  jli'-OJI^Ji    Ol'jfiw  X'ioli.;    OJ     itv 

a-i3V»  cni:   \Irrus  TygVw  £  TOI   xool  CJ    rtsge:;    sonc    CTJS   ;**;o;st.*iib   aaT 

qo1!     .  i2'iei.nj.^nfa  at   ,13  1^:08   .u.  sat  nl   ooc   ,  alxtu  i  .  Li   .  i   .  sqo4!  .2  . 
Kent 
'to 


e/w  0  cJ   16  lo   eJ~ov  /;  DOB 
be*u  Ic       B.SW  ^oxi-tsxh   eril 
ba;t'a&8b'ic<in   JoiiJaiii   oriJp  ni 

8JSW 


1   ^c 


ii£  iol   aia;  „'  Jr.  Qx 


2  .A  noi-.v  anci- 

-,  >Je-jlC    CilJv.l  no    -w 


iO  u8i'i;.H  r.i   a'licvTeneT  icl 
a  >•    beme&j   ,  itavo.'ca  ^"'vw  YQ''" 
.000,0  J>4  ^£  boxil   a>  w  Si   bat 
Jai   bei&Jrfs  ftsrlJ-   3-iCiJ-ot'rib  sitT 
i   'je^jrw  nwc   r.j   jun:ii;.fw   oi--'   ,  Isi;u;>-   . 
-isi'^ar  lo   cario^j.   OJ..',t.  oisi^i-  KioT'i 


/   . 


ni   ol^i^c.)   rioni    'BifenJ::1.,  toq  Ocl, 

o-ort     . 

oj    u9©5  .«•  ^o:   e^aeasxa  ni   e^nc:  «   ni  OOO.S-J  mead-  cj  L-^.tolm-nfit   \I^aioioo^e 
,*i9j£*  aior:.  qolevab  fanB   a#.«tu-i  05.  jj   e'.bW  alt-iofl  .si^.ioj-cH     ,ieJ-£w 


nc 


a^j    eolevoL   3-a 


oa 


no 

U  SB  nwonji  jnioq 
(?."«f  rtsic  'ss 
eaT     ,OOP,^cl$  3s 


^ol 
lo 


uo 

J  olJ-\J  iBjjnjj  neviib   3d  bluoiis  lioiuw 
ial     .ol,-n^i  .0  .i  mcVi  ue-ii/oaa   3/;*  "awoiaen  lewcl" 
Jr2&}   osco  i«.vcl  sJi   lo  jn;  coo£  rtc   olrfiais*  jeon: 


,  fie  iol  b&afido'it.T;    STSW  e.Csinf^  bn*   icxjirinJ-oii  lo 

bbiislsius-u   nbnod'nx  000,821;  lo   Ir-i'oj-  * 
G£8$;   eife-v  oelc   oasoqoiq   snj   i&oai,  iisjuBJ-nebnjL;   83iic>-'  &uT     . 

.  sario-r  xc  lisnoi-fil  lo  eeLui'  cS  brte   ,lBft£C  rtx^r    lo  .Joel  0068   « 
bite  cn«J  oxqoiT  iaie-3  onj-  icl  ^nxJ-o£   .nonrtBH  .{  .  asl  ,bsj£je   enol&cf  aA 

.  -         . 

£•  J'/ih^  bni/oTg  atii"  no  Joxveib  eaj    io  noi^sa.aeg'so  aui1  be-aai'aco,  \«4KjcoO  lalfif 


o« 


ton  b> 


"    -'  '      r,  ;  r  .  i  •+  ri 


(3) 


territory.  The  formation  of  the  district  was  upheld  as  to  these  points.  At 
the  proceedings  for  confirmation  of  the  organization  and  bond  issue,  Harmon 
again  contested  the  validity  of  the  district  but  here  again  the  district  was 
upheld  in  every  particular.  The  district,  therefore,  was  found  to  be  legally 
organized  in  every  respect  and  its  bond  issue  was  legal  if  issued  for  a  proper 
consideration.   Like  other  districts,  the  Grapeland  District  had  difficulty  in 
celling  its  bonds  for  cash,  one  |1GO  bond  being  the  only  sale  for  chas,  and  the 
bonds  were  exchanged  for  the  construction  of  the  tunnel,  for  labor  and  ziaterial, 
and  even  for  groceries  to  be  used  by  thoee  eniployed  on  construction  work. 
$102,000  in  bonds  were  issued  in  this  way,  .-naking  the  total  issue  £130,000.  In 
a  suit  brought  in  1898  and  decided  January  28,  1899,  Judge  Lucien  Shaw,  of  the 
Superior  Court  of  San  Bernardino  County,  held  that  the  bonds  were  invalid  because 
of  their  having  been  issued  in  excnange  for  work  and  other  considerations  not 
permissible  under  the  law.  In  the  early  part  of  1911  a  new  suit  was  brought  by 
A.  ''.  Ham,  holder  of  about  £3,000  in  bonds  of  the  district,  to  recover  payment 
on  the  ground  that  he  was  an  innocent  purchaser  for  value  of  such  bonus .  It 
is  understood  that  this  case  has  not  yet  (1911)  been  decided. 

The  district  completed  about  one-naif  mile  of  tunnel  wnich  yielded 
about  250  miners'  incnes  of  water  at  first  but  afterwards  diminished  to  at  out 
one- tenth  of  that  ainount,  and  about  12  or  15  miles  of  dirt  ditches.  In  toe 
case  of  Lytle  Creek  Water  and  Improvement  Co.,  v.  Grapeland  Irrigation  DiB^^ict, 
et  al ,  it  was  decided  that  there  was  a  prior  appropriation  of  the  water  of 
Lytle  ^reek  to  the  extent  of  2793  miners'  inches  and  that  the  district  could 
take  nothing  until  that  right  was  satisfied.  The  further  development  of  the 
tunnel  was  later  enjoined  on  the  ground  that  it  was  interfering  with  the  water 
rights  of  the  Lytle  Creek  Water  Company.  This  left  the  district  without  a 
water  supply  and  made  the  money  expended  in  the  construction  of  the  tunnel  a 


.- 


eriT     .  x 
,oi.'8Bi  bnccf  bos  nox.;*sx;-  .J-  'to  eioliaeriJtlttvo  tcl  a^nxboecoic 

.      aftt   lo 

.[  so  oj  baccl  ap.w  ,  eiolenextf   ,  i-oii-Taxii  aiiT     .  OBl^oi  jnjsq  \i8ve  ru  bl&riqu 
10  1  D6L-B8J  'tjfc  I«%«I  »fw  8i.'88i  bflod  eJ^i   sn«  ^oecrsei  \-^sva  nJt 
'-   OruBj60f«ixi 


ii&d>«£  bar  -XOO'JBX  lo't   ,  Ie«njji-  QiiJ-  to  noijoinjenoo  *itt  nol  be^rs^ifoxe  aiev  ebwod 

.^TOW  iioxifairnd'BficD  ao  be\olqx::»  eaoiii-  \rf  oeet  &cf  4$  seirt&oonv   iol  neve 
nl     .000,0£I$  eueei  JUJ-oJ-  aitf  jnxi£r  ,  x«w  eiiit  «i  faeusei  «  >0, 

to   ,WBfta  rtsiotrj  «j3btfL   ,  P98I  46S  x^***"*^-  betioab  tiae  6^61  ni  trigwnd  Jita  B 


ton  aacij-jEiieblaaco  tariJo  brxfi  iiow  iol  egnjsilcxu  ax  becaei  need  gnivjsri  rtlerii    lo 
afiir  i-iue  wen  B  IISI  lo  j-ifc  x-C"1*®  ef^"  "i     .*»!  etuf  lobni;  ela'ieaimec; 
IOVOOST  ot   ,^&iij-Eii)  arij-  la  abftod  ni  000,  8|  *wocf*  lo  leblori  ,mfiH  .M  .A 
.  B&ncd  fioi/.^  Ic   auLt-v  ao'i  'laaexionuq  tfteoonni  r»   saw  eii  tfifir   fantroto  erii  KG 
.faebioek  ne«c;   (1161)  *e\  i-en  er-rf  ersflt)  «iii.f  tisri^  booJ^iebnu  ei 
-'i  iioxii»  JannuJ1   lo   elxrc  lla.i-8«o  Jyod*  befeL  moo  loxi^sib 
oj  beiiainiffiib  sbijsvsri6J''t/'  JUG'  j-eitil  j-fi  Ta3/?w  lo  aenoni 

-ixc  lo  aelxai  61  i«  SI  *uoJ*  bfl»  .Jm/onys  ^«rij-   lo 
brtjeleqsnO  .v  ,.oO  d-Keaieveif^flil  btt»  lateVi  ioetD  eltifj  lo  eajso 
lo  isj-^sw  &ri*  lo  noi^«xiqonqq£  noiiq  ^  asw  ertdri*  tarij  bdbiosb  aew  ^1  ,  la  Je 

•t^sib  «a^  j-jsrid-  bn«  aaiioni   'snenim  €^VS  lo  Jnejxe  srij  3 
eriJ   lo  J-namqoieveb  leriliul  artT     .  beilBUjse  3£»  ^rigi1"!  J-sdJ-  Iltnu  gnxrWon 
is  j  iidiv  -.sj-nl  a£w  tx  j«iU  bfli/oi^  '<ru  ao  ucsniotne  TsJ-rl  e«w  lenrurf 

*  .  ;J    BfiJ-    10 

a  i  lo  nci^oi.'nj  ,*   ebae  bn*  ylqqt/a 


complete  loss.  The  district  was  thus  iorced  to  discontinue  its  activity. 

The  failure  of  the  district  wae  a  serious  blow  to  the  prosperity  of 
the  little  community.  Nearly  everyone  moved  away  and  the  land  there  now  is 
for  the  most  part  uncultivated.  Although  the  district  is  not  active,  litigation 
has  continued  and  upon  the  outcome  of  the  litigation  depends  to  a  large  extent 
the  future  status  of  the  district.  If  the  bonds  are  declared  illegally  issued 
and  invalid,  the  district  will  probably  be  dissolved,  while  if  the  courts 
uphold  the  validity  of  the  debt  the  landowners  will  probably  try  to  effect  some 

kind  of  a  settlement, 
fcivea  for  B^.  *,-<•*.  I^,>.i9. 


for   u. 

it  0«uid    ••>    arj    ;• 
for^rAsir^.      rra 


{•-•" 


ell  oijniJ-nooBii!  ct  5,0010!   ouiii   BJSW  j-oiTj-ezc  eriT     .  <3eol  •*«Iqmoo 
Io  ^i-.eqsoic  art-    ci  vyold  atoliee  £  s**-  Joiueib  arlJ'  'io  s 
si  won  STtii'Lf  brml  aaj  ijfte   YP'*^  Oiivoa;  eno^ieva  \L~u  b" 

il  .evii-yj)  ^or:   ei  d'oi'.^aiu   artf  ri3UOflJ-IA     .faajj-viJlt&itu  Ji£c   J"80in 

£  03   sbnaqsa  «oi^jidil  siii-    io   arnopjuo  aa^  acqj,   orus 

i  \ILsg6lIJ:  ben^Iotifc  s*u:   -j^nod  dri?   II     .woitjsib  sii^   Io   auJMSa  enuful  atii 
alftrco  afiJ   li    eliriw   .isvlcuaio   ad  \ldr-doiq  llxw  jt^^exfc   eoi1   .bilevnj:   bofc 
etnoe  Posits  oJ    ^-  'yidzdoiQ  iiiw  s'ldft'-vobitBl   jud"  J-cfsl)  sxlj-   Ic   xj-^oilrv  erLJ 

iL' alines  e   Io 


JAMCHA  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
San  Diego  County  -  Organized  November  2,  1891  -  Area  22,000  acres. 

The  Jamacha  Irrigation  district  was  planned  with  the   object  of 
bringing  a  large  body  of  very  valuable  land  under  irrigation.     The  movement 
was  at  first  opposed  by  the  large  landowners,  but  they  later  joined  in  pro- 
moting the  district.     It  is  said  that  many  of  the  promoters  were  owners  of 
the   ban  Miguel  Water  Company  which  owned  the  water  rights  acquired  by  the 
district  and  that  they  were  interested  in  securing  the  bonds  which  were  to  be 
given  for  such  water  rights. 

The  land  in  the  district  was  for  the  most  part  held  in  large  tracts, 

'- j  •*•  • '«•  •">•• 

the  largest  of  which  was  about  3,100  acres,  and  was  held  at  about  £50  per  acre. 
The  west  boundary  of  the  district  is  within  two  and  a  half  miles  of  tne  business 
center  of  San  Diego  and  for  this  reason  the  price  at  which  the  land  was  held 
was  somewhat  above  what  it  could  by  dry  farming  pay  interest  on.  without  water 
it  was  of  value  chiefly  for  grazing.  Practically  no  irrigation  was  being  prac- 
ticed at  that  time.  On  the  very  small  area  which  had  water  citrus  fruits  and 
wheat  were  raised . 

The  district  «.as  first  proposed  under  the  name  of  tne  Spring  Valley 
Irrigation  District,  but  was  formally  organized  as  the  Jamacha  Irrigation  Dis- 
trict. The  petition  for  organization  was  granted  September  11,  1891  and  the 

? 

district  was  declared  organized  on  November  2,  £891 .  The  first  board  of 
directors  was  composed  of  i.  C.  Vadsworth,  R.  L.  Eoaz ,  \,sn.  Fisher,  W.  £.  L!ont- 

1  •     «4«»A.# 

gomery,  and  R.  L.  Conklin. 

^*  |J  *   S^w  *.*   *•  ~  '  i  *  C*  •   iiJ  -   -     *     »t  *w  V  ^JP  (•  4.<r « 

The  territory  covered  by  the  district  had  an  area  of  22,000  acres  of 
wnich  over  15, COO  acres  were  susceptible  of  irrigation  from  the  proposed  source 

e   r 

of  supply.  Tne  land  was  well  suited  to  the  production  of  citrus  fruits. 

The  proposed  source  of  water  supply  vas  Cottonwood  Creek,  a  tributary 


.89*10*  OOC«US  £8'iA  -  IS8I  ,  u  lacfjcavoii        :i 


le  J-oeidc   eftf  rtj-iw  jsnaelc:  cusw  JoJtiJsxb  ncivB&iviI  £(!pBffu.l  &«iT 
erlT     .  nci^jB^XTii  lepno  boal  alcjtwLsv  \iev  'to   \bo<f  tta'^i  * 
-oiq  «x  teaict  ittf&L  ^9dt  Jud   .eiewwcifaBl  as'Uii  e.ir    xc'  fcseoqeo  JsiJtl  JJE   a**' 
lo  sieiwo  «i&w  aiaiomoic  eaj   lo  ^iteoi  3~BtU  bltse  BO:  JI     .Joi't-^ic  eal  jj 

eiiJ  \cf  otJiiiJpoB  c-i'iijji  'i-itBw  sjfiJ   oanwo  rioiiiw  ^usqasoD  •i*tjx>j  Isi/^l 
ol   diaw  noiiiw  aonoci  shJ"  ^niiuoee  ax  fae^aeno^nl   o'tew  vanj    j£*tf   bn« 

.  aJ-ri^ii  TSJ-^'#  nok'B  TO! 

gi^I  f»i   olea  J"i«c  Jaotii  &ilj  TO!  atw  J~5iiJ8io  tidl  nx  dual  eaT 
02^  Jisodf.  ts  bl»ii  sew  b«j?   ,  asis*  CX)X«t  juotff  arw  noiaw  lo  Jae-jifil  eri.f 
j  lo  3eix<T  llf-ii  JB  fanB  ow,t  nxrii'iw  si  ^oxil^iu  saj-   lo   \"if-imi.'oa'  i-?ew  exiT 
cleri  BBW  bftel  oaj-  .loxriw  t£  eoxic  8iU  r\08«9T  exiiJ'  TO!  uae  o^aiG  n^2   1c 


§nx9or  ae#  aolJE%iiil  on  xlLeoi^cBiT     .gnisfii^  10!   x-^9-*"3   awlfiv  lo  G^W 
brae  aJxini  airiJio  Maxew  bail  rioxriw  Bate   IJjama  xiev  arfj-  nO     .anxi  j^iij 

.  beexsi   t)*iew  i'jee.T* 

^•IxJBV  a^xtqa  en^   lo   otr^sn  shj-   Tobnw  b6eoqo^  JsTil  a»--v  Jsi-ijgib  ahT 
-aid  noxtosiiil  firioBirjsL  edJ"   SB  besin/igio  YllBimol  BBW  J'iJd   .J'oiiw'exa  noxte^xiil 
.•:  I?t?I  ,11  "isdmsJqs^  bejnDi^  aew  tiox^sxru-^io  TO!  nox.fi^sc   erlT     .  IsiiJ1 
lo  iitfiocf  J"9*xx1t   sriT     .  lC8f   ,  J  lecfmevoM  «o  bosxrtc^io  bei£loeb  BBW  ^oiii'eib 
oiJ  .>   .>'/  ,7eri8x'4  .miY  ,  ssod  .J  .h  ,riJaowabfl^  .0  ,'i  lo  beaocmoo  QKV  eioaoeixb 

.DXl^ifTOO    ,  J    .H    bilB    ,  X'JS^'Od 

lo  asioa  OOC,iiS    io  fla'i£  HJB  bed  Jox^exb  eriJ1  \d  fceisvoo  vic^i-riei  eriT 
aoiuos  beaoqoic;  siur  moil  nox^££x*iix  lo  aldx^cecaL's  STSW  SSTOJB  000,21  ievo  rioirlw 
.  a^xuil  eL'i^io    to  ncxJ'Oiiboiq  3^  cu    ba^iua  Hew  e/w  bnfl  suT 

/  lo  sonuoe  bssocoiq 


(2) 


of  the  Tia  Juana  River,  and  the  district  purchased  what  is  known  as  the 
Barrett  dam  site  on  this  creek.     The  water  supply  was  to  be  obtained  by  a 
storage  reservoir  at  the  proposed  site,   and  would  have  been  abundant  as  the 
district  acquired  by  purchase  water  rights  representing  an  abundance  of  water. 
2.  :'.  Capps,  Engineer  for  the  district,  made  estimates  for  the  dani  as  follows: 
ICO  foot  dam,     capacity     5,220  acre  feet,     would  cost,  $175,000 

125  foot  darn,     capacity  21,000  acre  feet,  would  cost,  250,000 

200  foot  dam,     capacity  90,000  acre   feet,     would  cost,  900,000. 

The  work  done,  however,  was  only  enough  to  hold  the  water  rights  secured  by 
purchase,  and  cost  only  about  $5,000. 

On  January  30,  1892  the  district  voted  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount 
of  £700,000  and   the  issue  was  approved  by  the  court  on  February  26,  1892. 
Bonds  to  the  extent  of  $111,000  were  issued,   of  which  1105,000  went  to  the 
San  ;..iguel  Water  Company  for  water  rights  on  Cottonwood  Creek  and  for  the 
Barrett  dam  site,   and  $6,000  were  sold  to  Wallace  Uongomery  and  Geo .  Nelson 
Barrett,     It  is  claimed  that  the  price  paid  by  the  district  for  the  water  rights 
and  dam  site  was   too  high,   and  it  is  also  claimed  that  the  bonds  purchased  by 
Montgomery  and  Barrett  were  paid  for  by  warrants  which  had  been  issued  by  the 
district  and  acquired  by  Montgomery  and  Barrett.     It  is  charged  that  the  owners 
of   the  San  V.iguel  Water  Company  were  among  those  who  promoted  the  district  and 
that  their  object  wae  to  get  the  bonds  in  payment  for  their  property  and  then 
to  further  the  interests  of  the   district  in  order  to  make   the  bonds  saleable, 
and  that  some   of  tneir  bonds  were  sold  for  5C  cents  on  the  dollar  almost 
immediately  after  their  transfer.     }.;r .  Capps,  who  was  Chief  Engineer  for  the 
district,   says   that  he  received  bonds  in  payment  for  his   services  and  that  he 
afterwards  sold  them  for  sixteen  cents  on  the  dollar.     The  law,   therefore,  was 
not  strictly   observed  throughout,   although  in  general  it  seems  to  have  been 
followed. 


BJB  nvonji  ex  .teaw  bosjsus-UKT  •  ••  .-(&viH  janm/l  azT  eriJ-  lo 

£  •  c   ed  cd-  8.8W  X-t{j^tfe  i&tew  eiiT     .  ieaio  sirtf  HO   ed-ia  raab  ^ 

j   ae  d'iu'bttjjctei  ne»d  avjeri  jjluow  JJ«K   ts»^xa   baaoco^  octt  ft:  •xiovieaen 

lo  sonrisnudB  rt£  ^niJnaaaireT  e-il^ii  'lOj^w  6B»xioiwq  \cf  beiiupoa 
:3wcilcl  a*  <r^b  aiit  iol.  aaJjemi^ae  obr-m  ,  J-ci'xjpib  axii   TO!  lesniani  .eqc^O  .!.'  .S 

,i"BOO  blyo^r     .J-sol  e*:ojB  OSJi,fi     \tis£>CB3      ,ny*fc  tool  OOX 
000.02S  ,J-BOO  bl^o*  .J^ael   SIOB  OCX3,XS  x^ioacfjsy     ,.r^b  ?oot  521 

.000,008  .Jcjco  bl.'ow     ,^eel   3'icB  000, 0€  \i~ioiqAo     ,«£*:  joot  DOS 

^c/  beifoae  eJri^JT  isj-i-,;  3f{J-  slca  oJ  ri^jjone  \:X«o  BBW  ,iev»wori   ,oncfa  liicar  erlT 

.000,cj  J-uods  \J«o  i-BOo  bn*  ,  98/<r(onuq 
Jnt'OniB  siit  ct  eonod  auftsi  od-    -j&;fev  j-oiii-sib  erii-  £981  ,0£  -^iBunp^  nO 

.  YOBi-'iJel  no  d"w;oo  suj    ^cf  bevolqq*  BJBW  auat5i  ari^   b««  OOO.OOVj  lo 
>;ew  000,201$  iisio*-  'to   ,be^38i  eiaw  000,111$  lo  ^ne^xs  adj1  cJ  abnofi 

.:«  ^6810  boowacJ-i-oD  no   ?Ji(;,l*r  Tsijsw  icl  \naqraoO  •!•*«¥  Ist 
noali,;:  .osO  bfto  x^aaiognoA.  oajelle?;  od-  bios   eiew  000,8$  bne.   ,  ed-la  oust 
«  9tij  iol  J'sJiJsxb  ertf   \cf  bjtjsq  aoitq  •arij'  fxttt  b-jKiJsIo  si  i1!     . 
\:  -jive  ^fanod   add"  JpiiJ-  oaralBlo  celt*  ei  t±  biis   .li^ia  oo^  e/?w  eJ'ia  meb  fane 

^  bai/BRX  neea   oert  .^ioihw  s^ni;Tu;.v  \d  lolt   bleq   ens*  Jj'eiiBd  bfta 
dr..  bega^ria  si  ^1     .  Jj-eiiBa  one  \^i9/nt^tno\f  \cf  beiiupoa  bna  mi 

^  iloraoic:  Oiiw  6sorij-  3noni£  ei  o3  iWMiW  lauiji:*'.  n«8  eilf   lo 

nf-  oi>    ixadj'  id  J-nam^q  ni  abnoc   t  oi'  8*w  Joetdo  ilaitt 

,ol  .         sfii   e.istn  od*  isbio  rtx  Joiiielb  efiJ-   lo  aia&ned-njt  eril  leriJi 

:-/  aril  no  sj-neo  02  rto'i  olcs   9-  "riaiiJ  lo   8EC3  Jfirii 

acid:  lo'i  leenianii  loxriC  oew  oriw  ,  eqqjsO  .nil     .•  -id"  iJtertt 

erf  .:  ;     j'/nar?   eiii  rtol  d-ntin:\Bc  n,  svisosi  exi  i'srid" 

.•  ,STol  .  .ia  *rcl  merij-   bloe 

be 

.bewollol 


(3) 


It  was  the  intention  of  the  district  to  sell  a  sufficient  amount  of 
bonds  to  construct  the  works  of  tne  district,  and  negotiations  were  entered  into 
for  the  sale  of  the  bonds  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  The  sale  seemed  about  to  go 
through  when  the  inquiry  of  a  San  Francisco  bank  was  received  by  a  San  Diego 
bank  and  the  district  was  reported  on  adversely.  This  prevented  the  sale  from 
going  through  and  the  district  was  prevented  from  continuing  its  construction 
work. 

The  district  was  not  involved  in  serious  litigation.  There  were 
several  suits  in  regard  to  details  of  title  to  the  property  purchased  by  the 
district,  but  these  were  of  little  importance.  A  suit  brought  by  Carlos 
Olivera  et  al ,  ?;as  intended  to  discredit  the  bond  issue  and  to  get  an  injunction 
against  tax  sales .  Olivera  charged  that  the  San  kiguel  Water  Company  had  not 
fulfilled  its  agreement  in  not  completely  clearing  up  the  title  to  its  property 
before  transferring  it  to  the  district  and  that  the  purchase  was  unwise  and 
unjustifiable.  An  injunction  against  further  sale  of  bonds  or  sale  of  land 
for  non-payment  of  taxes  was  asked  for.  No  judgment  was  arrived  at  in  the  case. 

About  this  time  the  financial  depression  of  1893  was  coming  on  and 
the  district  found  it  impossible  to  sell  its  bonds.  The  directors  and  land- 
owners of  the  district  became  discouraged  and  felt  that  it  would  be  better  to 
dispose  of  the  property  of  the  district.  About  1900  the  district  finally 
disposed  of  its  holdings  to  the  Southern  California  Mountain  Water  Company,  ( 
(a  Spreckels  concern)  and  received  in  return  the  cancellation  of  its  entire 
outstanding  indebtedness,  including  warrants,  bonds  and  interest.  This  indebted- 
ness had  been  acquired  by  said  company  at  various  prices  and  it  was  all  returned 
to  the  district. 

having  thus  disposed  of  all  outstanding  indebtedness,  the  district 
took  steps  to  disorganize  and  a  decree  dissolving  the  district  was  entered  on 
i.'ay  5,  1909  by  Judge  Lewis  of  the  Superior  Court  of  kan  Diego  County. 


liii-J-i-c  _.c  rr^e   ^-.rwsri   aoi  to  alicw  ^  r  -n^saoc  cc 

i  q^.c-   r.-j-  tc 


«-i5  ac 
_--.:   j-5J^=.vs-:c   esw 


_i-^.c   X.-TJCCIC    r.^r  o.*   ~L*1;    ic  ellafeo  c.*  in  ^»  3*1  .--i    i-*i. 

^•rtr  ri-  2  ;      .sca.r:n3rt2   si^.'il  lo  ens-/   o3*r_-    *i'i   . 
'^z  .T£  ;*}£  ci   Lc^    ^i.?^.-   oac.    =.^_r  ricsiaelj  c.-  asbriai-.t^   «^"  ,  IP  i?  *-. 


«*  o.-    -Lril     -if    ri.-  ..r.i-^scls   vl&Jalcacc   "C;-;  r.i 
.    .-  -7  i;/^:-n.c   e^r  :«.-   c.i^     jsitisic   i^J    .- 
tc    ales  •:-:   siaod    to   sl£3  i?-in»: 
l  -£   3*vi':is  ae*  Jasi^ct'r    osi     . 
<.?8I  lo  nci 

sal 
^  as  alio»  Ji  j£iir  JIsi  s.-ris  is^jc-uroosid  SKEOU;   j-^in^^i  .0  e 

&ru    tc 

c."    \  ..i-I:.:  e^i    ic      ea 

lo  »ici;*iilos;j;c   ttcJ  aiuiti-i  fit  asvioOi^i  bse      (in  scare   sloisa 
i   ai.vj     .jasTte^ni  ace  scat  a   ,ejn*'njB%-     .ilatlsr  -         L  «•«&?*  a'fcoai  311  i  faft« 

neet'  &BI-. 


.    >:•  ;  iA..  -.*  j»on^  jjBicae^t^uo  lls  le   £>s?ocsxc 

cc    -   •  i-   ?*.j  ^»i.I'B2ii>  ee^ioeo  ^   iMt^  s»i*!£j-ies.ib  oi  Boej*  >. 

-'-   --  3iC    :c    aivij  &4w.-»  x<*  ^O*-1   i' 


After  the  die organization  of  the  district  the  Sprecfcels  completed 
a  portion  of  their  water  system  and  the  pipe  line  froc  the  lover  Otay  cam  to 
the  City  of  t»an  Diego  crosses  a  portion  of  the  lands  which  were  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  Jaaacha  Irrigation  District  and  sooe  3,000  acres  of  these 
lands  are  now  being  irrigated  with  water  taken  froa  this  pipe  line  under  con- 
tracts with  various  water  companies  which  have  been  formed  for  tne  purpose  of 
distributing  water  over  individual  tracts.     Land  which  has  thus  been  irrigated 
has  increased  in  value  since  water  was  placed  on  it  ten-fold  or  sore.     A 


of  prosperous  localities  now  exist  within  the  area  of  toe  original  Jamacha 
Irrigation  District. 

It  is  felt  that  the  district  was  cot  a  failure  although  it  was  not 
itself  able  to  carry  through  the  plan  outlined.    The  district  called  the  atten- 
tion of  capitalists  to  the  value  of  the  water  supply  and  the  development  of  toe 
Bare  has  teen  a  great  thing  for  £an  Diego. 

The  crops  now  raised  on  the  irrigated  portion  are  citrus  fruits 
principally  and  the  land  is  worth  about  $700  per  acre.     On  the  portion  whic.i  is 
not  irrigated  there  has  been  little  change.     The  irrigated  portion  is  no* 
divided  into  sroall  tracts  of  an  average  size  of  about  ten  acres. 


bt-Jelqatcs  ajwfoeiqd   Bitt  Jox-sJaxc  *fU   lo  ii 

i=jwol  sii*  c.oi*  t>nil  eqxq  eu^  on*  jrsjaxs  ivfe*  ixsitt    to  noij^ioq 

abnel  »a*   lo  ncid-ioq  «  aseaoio  oj,aiG  n*^  lo 

io  sti^s  000,  £  aoica  bn«  ^oi^siu  ncxj^ji-nl  jjaaccasS,  s:U    :o  esii 
-nco  190JU:   snil  »cxq  el^  aoii  na.s*j   i&fsw  Hiiv  uewL^i^nx  ^niad  won   $i 
lo  aeocnifc  e^  tot   bscnel  nsso   ev^ri  uoiriw  auirmqinos  ieJa-     ftiroiij 
be^^iiii  nesa  &oot  ae*i  floiaw  bos^i     .  -roaii   Xauilvibni  iavo  isjr; 

•li.  :.-!..:    A        .61031    10     ald-ilK     JJ     iiO    bOOflCT     9.'  W    IfiSAtf    QSCiJiS     3UL»V    HI     Dfelt-U*:  Oi'i:     8£i- 

io  £»•!£   u.-uv   n*iuxw  J^ixe  wo>  sai^ii^aoi  suci^qBciq  lo 


iit  bsll^s  Jsxi?ei:L  eaT     .b»nil^uo  (uelq    •--    .     .  .•    . 

lc   .-.;.     cl£«ei/  J.T.J-   i>a«  xlccte  is-s#  s^   Io  »tli-v  saJ   oi   ejsilfci  i^j:o  Io  . 

.  OgOlZ  ae°  lot  ^.niAt   ^^T«  -B  nss^   w.-l  w 

sjiinl  8L"^Ho  ei«  acx^ioc  O«>J£J,XTIX  ea^  no  beslei  won  eqc-ic    ariT 
ex  iisxitw  aoxJ-oc   8»u  aO     .sis*  isq  DOT;  JL'OJ£  aJiow  ex  btvfil  on     LHB  ^IIjBc;xonxiq 
•on  ax  noiiioq  b*t£-^i".'ij.   snT     .  3,-aeno   el.}-,  il  rtasd  aca   .  vj;ic    oaj^gini  i'oo 

Io  as^3  e^'iC'V*  oe   io  ssoaiz  Lirsrz   o-nx  bctxvib 


LECLA  YI~A  I?.-.: 


£V3r*^*    *&. 

San  Diego  County  -  Organized  August  24,  1091  -  Area  42,000  acres. 

water.   .'-«.-  s   .   c/-.u/I*r  r*pi.".*«  »a  ta»  pr-??~**c  vi«*  »ns  ;.--_..  -_-«c  it  ?.:,>--w 

The  proaotion  of  the  Linda  Yista  Irrigation  Idstrict  was  of  a  very 
;x  *a«  »sj  fc»c»ad  f*»t  « 

questionable  nature.  Tc.e  chief  proootere  wfM  aen  w/io  held  tie  dam  sites  which 

it  was  proposed  to  sell  to  tee  district  and  in  order  to  secure  lie  organization 
they  brought  out  asn  who  would  vote  for  the  district  and  placed  t&ea  sn  land  in 
the  district.  Landowners  who  opposed  the  district  were  avoided  by  craving  toe 

boundaries  of  the  district  to  exclude  their  land.  The  land  of  ts«  district  had 

*,  .;-..;  :  b  -L-  '.f  '.  -  ,  '  !"-  '-•*'*  'Cf\*  V»*.T  .  Nc"-.".  r  2^i  .-   •  •-  -   Ir-  ^-  - 
been  selling  at  less  taan  425  per  acre  and  the  proaoters  cocrineed  the  f  araef* 

that  it  would  sell  for  |100  after  the  organization  of  the  district.  Von  over 

'  -^  '.   *  r  .  .\t.  r 

by  the  hope  of  celling  their  lanes  at  a  &rw*t  adrance  ,  the  people  npperted 

the  organization  of  the  district  aad  J.  A.  Allison,  who  at  that  tine  owned 
2,000  acres  of  land  in  the  district  and  was  fighting  the  organization  in  the 
courts,  was  not  axle  to  get  any  sapper  t  for  ais)  opposition. 

Toe  district  lay  to  the  north  of  the   City  of  &•*  Diego  arc  3.0CC  acres 

-  „  -•      4  WJ     ':  »  "  «      V  %  t      l~     r.f.^4  T 

within  the  district  was  owned  by  the  City.    Tbere  were  aanjr  large  holdings,  the 


largest  being  about  5,000  acres,  aoc  there  were  also  sane  nail  tract*,  the 
smallest  being  a  city  lot.     Lane*  as  earth  froa  tan  to  twenty  dollars  per  acre, 
or  at  least  that  was  the  price  asked  for  it.     Hr.  C.  S.  Alverson  pats  its  Talae 
at  froa  42.5C  to  |B  per  acre.     Hay  was  the  principsJ.  product  of  the  district. 

-  w  »         '  :-M  .  -•*?    »T   &*  >    •»:  .*    :  i-«T  t*    *f    2  .-;.,-  s«  .  V 

Vith  water  the  land  would  have  been  very  valuable  as  it  Isy  an  a  s«sa  well  ahere 
danger  of  frost  and  was  especially  well  suited  for  the  raising  of  citrus  f  raits. 

There  was  no  irrigation  practiced  in  the  district. 

'-  »;  -~  »Wir 
The  district  west  organized  August  24,  1891  and  iacladec  a  territory  of 


U      1C  acres  area,  of  which  about  5, COG  acres  was  town  property  and  abewt  30.000 
acres  was  susceptible  of  irrigation  f rt»  the  propesed  sovrc*  of  water  sapplj . 
It  was  proposed  to  sesars  watar  f rtm  wjhsdb  is  kawssi  as  the 


il          ._..-„  _ 

000,  £ 


yrrav  s  lo   3J3W  Ici'jjsxu  nt»xJ.e^xTCiI  jBiexV  jsbnxd  »dj   lo  noiJacciq 

8*iJ    bis*;  oaw  a  em  tnew  8t&J~oiTiOiq    tej.ii?    ^..J     .  eijuji.n   ol.  j 

ncxlps  e^i   3'a'osB   ctf  isaio  nx  tioe  ^ox^axc   ao^   oJ  Il^a  ol   beaoqonq  apw 

aJL  brml  ac  raan^  oaojalc   bos  ^oxiJ-axfa   oiiJ"  lol  stov  blt'cw  o.iw  aac  i'wo 

yo  bofcxcvii   &iew  JVXT^BXO   oiiJ'  beeoqqo  oiiw  aiarr*ooruEj     .Jsx 
aiij    io  b*i«I  9uT     .  b«el  liexij   sbi/Ioxe  o^  J-^iii-Bxa  ariJ'   lo  soin*faiiuoo 
bsonivdoo  e^&J•ono^q  9iid-  farus  BTOJS  isq  2Si  na^   aeal  *>?  gnxllee  need 
To  fioW     .Joxideib  9/ij   Ic  nox^sioejjTO  aiid"  led1^  001?  id  lies   bli?ow  i^x  fecit 
beinotqus   elqoaq  ad^   .eooevius  J#ai£  JB  ^*  apoel  ixeii^  snillea   lo  eqoii  era   ^ 
banwo  amxJ-  J-fiiij    ^  oriw  ,noexll/:    .A  .  (.  boe  loxiJ-axb  erU   Ic  nox^sxrus^io  axi^ 
ni  iicxJi;;;xfu:^rto   sad-  •anxJ-u^x^  a£*  ban  i-oiiJ-Bxb  a^  nx   bael  lo  eeiOB  000,2 

.  noxJ-xacqqo  sx.1,  nol  J-iocqt/8   ^ITUB  ^63  oi   side  ton  BBW  , 
000«fi  DOS  o^axQ  fie^i  lo  \tfxC;   aii^   la  n^ioii  erii   o^   \^1  J 
tt   ,  a  .1  3a"IJ3-t  \ftenj  sna*.-  QTa;V.      .\J-iO  erfJ1  \d  benwc  ac*  ^o 

aftt    ,  ei'OK'u   Jl^ina  3*noe  CB!B    3ie-»    ^lafiJ-  on£    ,  stTsu?  000,2 
,sitoj5  TSG  a-isllop  Y-^^wJ   0^  ne^  moil  ittiow  3J?.v?o«£j     .Jol  \^io  JB  jjfixed 

vq  nofnevlA  .3  .0  .iC  .  Jx  -iot  bs^ax  6oxnc  eriJ-  RBW  J/scU  fofjel  J-p  *iO 
'to  ^OLboaq  Itsqionx-jq  arij-  a^w  Y£^  .  &io«  Tsq  8$  o*  06.  A*  moil  ^43 
evous  liaw  ^«-,-u  i  nc  v£i  tx  ae  sldKulev  v."?&\  need  &V£d  bluow  bxtel  s.w  le^w  rii'x'.V 
.BJXunl  »uiJio  'to  sniax/!T  9iicf  10:  bej-xue  Ildw  xllflxooqee  afw  tine,  tscil  lo 

.J  oxi^  8X0  ttiij  nx  beoxwaeiq  aciJfslTxx  on  ar 
Ic  Yrtc^-''x'18^  B  beoiflonx  boe  IP8I   ,  frS  i'eusti^   besini-sio  w»w  Joxii'Bxb  eriT 

J^UOdB    &TUB    \*T6qOiq    flWC^    3pW    3b*IO«    00  ••'.',  6    ^ltCd«    iiSXfiw    Ic     ,J3STB    aSdOB 

lo  Veoiu08  beeo^oiq  eri^  moil  noxJ.t^x'nx   lo   eltfxlqasaue  B/?W  eeio/r 

.  .  ,  beeoqciq  «BW  J-J 


(2) 


site  which  is  located  at  the  confluence  of  the  Santa  Ysabel  and  Pamo  Creeke. 

There  was  an  abundant  supply  of  water  available   for  storage  and  it  was  estimated 

a 
that  dam  140  feet  high  would  flood  476.5  acres  and  store  18,480  acre  feet  of 


7'  „    a  ..coi   v.fti        *     . 

water.     James  D.  Schuyler  reported  on  the  proposed  plan  and  endorsed  it  highly. 

It  was  estimated  that  a  supply  of  5,000     second  feet  could  be  thus  obtained.     The 
district  purchased  the  Pamo  site  for  (160,000  in  tonds  and  also  purchased  12C 
acres  in  the  Santa  Maria  Valley  for  |5,000  in  bonds. 

The  district  never  did  any  work  on  the  proposed  plan  as  it  was  not 

.  -..      t-  .  '.    *    :    •  i:;  106  C&i.  169,   U«&  128  "aj.  .  477. 

able  to  sell  bonds. 


A  bond  issue  of  $1,000,000  was  voted  November  28,  1891.     In  addition 
to  the  £165,000  exchanged  for  property  as  stated  above,  (11;  000  were  sold  for 

i^ig  i.*i  *t  .        TftB     i9j?'ji»ti  OX*     3f     ''   .5 

cash,  bringing  the  district  $10,000.     The  total  amount  of  bondsissued,  therefore, 

was  $176,000.     Just  what  value  was  received  for  the  bonds  thus  issued  it  is 

•  \  .    o'    *.•-/.••;  Sa   Fift  tch*  ~   *t    . 
impossible  to  say  with  certainty.     It  is  charged  that  the  directors  secured  a 

"rake-off"   of  §40,000  out  of   the  £160,000  exchanged  for  the  Pamo  site,  although 
this  can  not  be  proved.     It  is  significant  that  in  recent  settlement  proceedings 


Cor  -..a  .-at  ion  *f*<"*-t   -•'   U-  *  *••"••,- 

the  dam  site  was  transferred  to  the  Live  Oak  Corporation  for  $55,000  in  bonds 

of  the  district,   and  it  would  certainly  seem  that  if  v55,000  represents  the 

«'•••-.    to   :,*   s-Jw  *.;.«-   .  -..-it    :  cf. 

value  of  the  site  now,  it  could  hardly  have  been  worth  $160,000  twenty  years 

ago. 

The  district  was  in  the  hands  of  an  incompetent  and,  it  is  said, 

•u-i   '.•...:.  v.s  c'.'.t  irict  would    .:  ?r.  to  ditorzadiea  . 
dishonest  board  of  directors,     whether  or  not  the  charge  of  dishonesty  is  well 

founded,   that  of-  incompetence  seems  to  be  so  and  the  affairs  of  the  district 


-  ..  .  , 

made  no  progress  .     The  landowners  v.ere  anxious  to  go  on  with  the  plans  but  the 

directors  were  dilatory.     They  did,  however,  make  attempts  to  sell  bonds  and  a 

eala  was  about  to  be  made  to  H.  '*'.  Putnam,  who  had  purchased  the  bonds  of  the 

-.nor  c  i->it»l   *iil  carry    >n  tb*   ylaa  ',f   a  r«  -    at  ti.c    -is-i   **%e   n-.c   tt' 

Zscondido  district,  when  the  decision  of  Judge  Ross  of  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court 

declaring  the  Wright  Act  unconstitutional,  was  handed  down.     This  decision 

'-A-  .<   i«  ,.  .,  hcTsttv^f,   *ti£  ii  ;  i»  lik*;  /    wr.i...   ta.«s  csj»t  of 

prevented  the   sale  to  Putnam  and  made   it  impossible   to  sell  district  bonds  to 


.•j.  _•-•!.    o:^;-.  UOE  ledsaY  tictx'l   o..i    ic   sonet'Ilnoo  a.J"  JM&  0a?£00l  ax 

*tol   olo.elijiv.fc-  r;;;-tew  lo  \lqqua  -ftebKuJjs  as 


ic  J-eal  9*ioa  08£,61  feio^s  bn*  seiojs  fi.  dY#  bocll  blt'cw  lis-iii  J»el  0*1  ousb 


.  xlriaiii  -•£  oeaiobne  one  iwio  beaoqoiq  ocit  no  be^ioqaT  isI^uAag  .a  samel 
siil     .bsnij?j-Jo  euh-    ec   faliroo  i'eal  bncoba.    (X)0,c  lo  \Ictque  a  J'Bii^  be^afti^Bs  e«w 
Owl   Dsatiisiuq  osjjs   DOB   abno-   fti  000,0dl|  ^ol   olxa  ociflS  stu  beeiiiotuq  J 

.scnocf  ni  000,2$  nol  Y6-1-^*'  *ii«J,f  £^ff*2  erJ1  ni 
sew  ri  3£  oel^  baeoqcnq  en'j  no  xiow  Y08  6it  ifcven  J-cirrj-eic  ariT 

.  Bbnod  Hoe  oi 

al     .  It81   ,SS  lea'ce-vovi  beJov  aj»«r  000,000,1^  lo  euaai   baotf  A 
bloa  sis*  OOOjII*   .svoda  beJ-BJe  a*  ^aeqoiq  10  i   bagoBaaxe  000,661)  erij   oj 
a'  lo  ^aiioow  Lifoj  eriT     .000,31$  ^oxijeib  enj-  ^ni^nxad  ,r(aJ80 
ex  ri  beii&ex  a^.w  aonod  sdJ  -:ol   jsvi&u-ji  saw  V^IJBV  ^Briw  ^suL     .000«dTI|  SB* 
beiuoee  aio^o«nxD  soj   j-M^  oes-usrio   sx  ^1     .  x^nltJieo  iii'jtw  x*s  p^  eldxeaoqai 
,e^xe  oaaj'T  eiij  10!  oey^enox*  000,041$  wit   lo  Juo  000,v)*5   to   " 

s  fneca-x  fli  .terLf  ^rajoilinjjiB  ei  ^1     .bevoaq  ed  J-oa  fo?o 
ebnod  tu.  000,52-i  no'l  noxJ-^-JoqioO  JLeO  evxJ  aa*  oj  beiT6^80B7i   9*w  eJxe  casb 

000,  <Jc*   Ix  JJSii,1  tteeo  \lai>.J-iso  bli.ow  ^x   bru   .Joxi^eib  viis   lo 
000,OOI|  rii"to*  nsed  evari  \lfa-uwi  bli/oo  Jx   ,won  9^xa   6ti$  lo  auLev 

.03* 
,cxas  ei  ^x   ,bos  jneJscmooni  ne  lo  aoaari  arvJ  nx   ajsw  i-oi^axfa  •fff 

Hew  el   ^aenousxc  lo  egiafio  odi  J-on  <o  iefi*8d^     .eno^oeTic  lo  biBcd 

/ 

^ciTjsxb  8ii^  lo  anx^llB  aiU  faoB  os   ad  oJ  anieee  aona^eqicoorti  lo  ferit   ,  bs 
eh^  }ud  axuBlq  ariJ-  nJxw  no  og  oi  avcixnc  sie»  •^MNrobfljsI  arlT     .  sae-^oTc.   on  9bB«n 
JB  fan*  sbnod  llos  cj   e^qn»^jj»  «10a  ,ievewon  ,  bib   ^suT     .-£io*£l.ib  ei9w  sio^oeiib 
ftdJ  lo  abaod  eat  b»8J3uoiJ.-.;  ojsu  oh«  .msfld-vS  .W  .  H  cj   »O*(TI  ed  oJ  Ji-oa*   aew  el«8 
J-ii-oix'J   .3  .U  «itl  lo  33o/,  ogbul  lo  noxexoeb  »rj  nsriw  ,?oii*exb  obibncsaS 
noxaxseb  ssxaT     .nwob  toj...  .1  SJBW  ,  iBftolJ^xlanoafu.'  JOA  ^risxii?  eriJ  gnliclseb 
o^  einod  4-oliJexb  liea  oJ-  eldx  jsn^ul  oJ  alas   s.  Tsvsnq 


anyone .  The  district  was  thus  prevented  from  continuing  with  its  plans  and 
lay  dormant  for  years . 

The  district  had  a  good  deal  of  litigation.  The  principal  suits 
were  one  to  compel  the  City  of  San  Diego  to  pay  taxes  on  land  within  the  district 
in  which  the  district  was  successful,  and  a  suit  attacking  the  validity  of  the 
district  organization  and  its  bonds,  in  which  the  validity  of  both  was  upheld 
by  the  ruling  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Both  of  taese  cases  went  to  the  Supreme 
Court  and  are  reported  in  108  Cal.  189,  and  128  Gal.  477,  respectively. 

The  effect  of  the  district  was  to  cloud  tne  titles  to  all  property 
in  the  district  and  until  quite  lately  there  has  been  little  activity  in  the 
district.  The  population  of  the  district  became  smaller  and  land  values  went 
away  down  with  practically  no  market  for  the  land.  Recently  the  Live  Oak  Cor- 
poration, of  wnich  Ed  Fletcher  is  the  head,  secured  possession  of  the  entire 
outstanding  indebtedness  of  the  district  and  began  negotiations  for  a  settle- 
ment. The  bonds,  interest,  and  warrants  amounted  to  4310,000.  The  Live  Oak 
Corporation  surrendered  455,000  worth  of  bonds  and  received  in  exchange  the 
title  to  the  property  of  the  district.  The  remaining  indebtedness  of  4255,000 
was  to  be  settled  for  4125,000  or  at  about  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar. 
This  involves  an  assessment  of  about  43  per  acre  for  the  land  within  the  dis- 
trict. It  was  expected  that  this  settlement  would  be  concluded  in  the  fall  of 
1911  and  that  tne  district  would  then  be  disorganized. 

Conditions  within  the  district  have,  on  the  whole,  not  improved  greatly. 
There  are  about  1,000  acres  irrigated  from  San  Liego  city  water  supply  ana  from 
private  pumping  plants.  The  value  of  land  is  now  from  (10  to  (40  per  acre.  It 
is  expected  tnat  after  the  settlement  is  concluded  the  Live  Oak  Corporation 
or  other  capital  will  carry  an  the  plan  of  a  reservoir  at  the  Panto  site  and  that 
the  district  will  in  this  way  receive  a  water  supply  for  at  least  a  portion  of 
the  territory.  This  is  uncertain,  however,  and  it  is  likely  that  the  cost  of  the 


(t) 


DOB  eitfcslq  itfx  rtfxw  anxcnxd'iioo  moil  beJribvs-iq  au.tf  BJSW  JoiiJ-aib  eriT     . 

.  aoaf»\  -jol  Jrteanob 
8JXU8   iBqxonx-iq   artT     .  ncxJa:j.UxI  lo  Leefa  £003  «  ben  J-oxuexu   eriT 

ariJ"  nlnJx-v  bjtal  nc   asxtJ-   ipBq   oJ1  039x0.  o«3   lo   \JxQ  atU   laqmoo  ol   one   eiew 
lo   \d~x£>xlBV  y.\j-  4jnx;iafJ'j*  J"Xk-3  £  bittt   ,  ii>'iS8eoou«  eflw  i'oinjsib  artj"  noihw  nx 
bisriqi;  ae*  rijoJ   'to  \iioiLev  eri^  rioxaw  RX   .aiwod  B-X  i>n*  nox^sxasgno  J- 
atuertqij2   euJ  ol  3new  eeeao  eaai^   lo  n.Jod     .  tiiioC  amenqu2  &ii^  lo 

qa  j-i   ,  VV#  .  1*0  SSI  bfls   ,  y8J  .IfiO  801  nx  bft^Toqen  eoe  bits  d"u/oC 
II*  oJ  aaUxJ  a;tf  buolo  c^   BBW  J-oxiJ'axb  eaJ  lo  ^o*lle  eri? 
a^  ni  Y^-iv-i-0je  elJ^Jxi  nasa  e*ri  eisaj-  \l6jnL  ed-xjjp  JiJ-rtt'  brus  Joxij-elfa  erij-  nx 

brxel  baa  ntsll^tca  ameotjj   J-yxi^sxc  ecit  lo  nox^Biuqoq  8dT     .J'oi' 
-ioO  aijsO  evJLJ  Bilj-  Yl^neas^     .tausl  sul  icl  j-eitani  on  \lLesitssnq  ii^xw  nwot 

eix-ne  euJ"  lo  noxasaaeoq  b«'a!08s   .b^sii  Sitf  si  lerioJeli  b3  hoxrtw  lo  ,aoxJ.8ioq 
-QlUes  £  icl  eooxJ&xJossn  nsgad  brte  ^oxn^eib  e.i^  lo  anaabetfdebnx  ^nxfantJ  p..4iio 
iflO  svxj  artT     .000,012^  oJ  faajnuoinB  8J•nB^^JBw  bnc   .^eeieJni   ,sbnod  erfT     . 

nx  bevxsoeT  bfie  ebnod  lo  riJ"tow  000, 2c$  banebnai'ita 
^  lo  seanbejcfa^nx  ^nxniJEcioT  anT     .JoxiJ-eib  e»i*   lo  \^ieqonq  artf 
o.:j   no   .-..'nay  •{J'lil   lo   sjai  otu   Jijcajs  J-JL  10  000,^I|  10!  baliJee   ed  ci   aaw 
-8X0  arij  nxiiJ-xw  bn*I  eriJ-  10!  QIOJS  'T»q  E|  ^i/ocf*   lo  ^nsrcaaaaBB  rus  sevlovnx  axriT 
lo  IJJBl  eiU-  nx  b&birlonoo  ed   oii:ow  J-.^ajudljJoa  BXOJ    ^£iU  bad'oeqxe  SJBW  JI     .J-oxu 

.  bosxu£g'i03xb  sd  naitr  bluow  i'ox'i^axfa  eii*  i'jBdi'  wte  JICI 
,sloii*  sat  no   ,  svjsn  ioxiJ-sxb  »ui  nirij-iw  enox^ibnoO 
moil   bofl  \lqqu8  ieJ-£w  x^xo  og8j,a  n£<s  moil  beJsjjxVix  =3&iojs  000,  J  J'uodB  oie  eiarfT 
II     .  8iojB  ieq  0^$  oi^  OI|  CJOT!  won  ex  bnjal  lo  avljav  oaT     .  a«  nelq  snxqmuq  e^avxiq 
nei^jrioqioO  JtJsO  avij  enj   bsbwlonoo  sx  juaineljweB  arij  la^'ta  JBrur  beioecxe  ax 
fan*  eJie  omsM  enJ  ^B  liovteiai  *  lo  njslnr  eaj  nc   ^*i*iro  IIxv  Ifltfiqpo  "xeilio  10 
lo  aoxJ-3oq  £  J-e/jsI  ^a  10!  \IqqiJB  leJ-fiw  Ji  avxeosn  n«w  axiij1  nx  Iliw  Jox'^exb 
::   dot  J*rij   \IdiiI  ai  jx  bn«   ^evswori  .nxjej-ieonu  si   aid?     . 


(4) 


water  secured  in  this  way  will  be  much  greater  than  it  would  have  been  under  the 
district's  plan  had  it  been  carried  to  successful  completion. 

It  is  rather  hard  to  say  just  what  caused  the  failure  of  this  district. 
There  were  several  factors,  any  one  of  which  might  well  have  proved  sufficiently 
potent  to  prevent  its  successful  outcome  .  The  nature  of  the  organization  and 
management,  in  the  first  place,  was  not  such  as  to  engender  confidence,  and  there 
is  a  widespread  belief  in  San  Diego  and  elsewhere  among  tnose  who  had  knowledge 
of  the  affairs  of  the  district,  that  the  board  of  directors  did  not  conduct  the 
affairs  of  the  district  in  a  strictly  honest  manner.  Even  if  the  management  of 
the  district  had  been  all  that  could  be  desired,  however,  it  seems  likely  that 
the  difficulty  of  selling  bonds  in  the  depressed  market  brought  about  by  the 
panic  of  1893  and  tne  decision  of  Judge  Roes,  would  have  been  sufficient  to  have 
prevented  the  district  from  carrying  through  its  plans. 
-t.   #iEjyt  -.^  Qf 


.          in  ,,rap«vifl*.i  .    «,<*  2C  and  V,  m   fig*       T 

^ut  .     Without  water  it  **«   rot   :;•> 
rainfall   in  MM  aiatrict   .<?  aajy   afe»ut  6  or  S   tnst*e 

-r'c  •       -•   '    '  • 

t«  for  Ui*  iirfc&jiiss.tion  of  the  ai?triot,  tha  >rojec-; 
ac/ae  included,  15OO  *er«  -:»vrrn:»at  iojia  *««i  £700  fc 


1400  acrse  ar»  ?till  ir.  ttoe  tumd»  ci   its  e 

';.'ea  of   tf;^  d  •-.  i  x  ;•  i  -~  t   is   ••jeceptibla    ii   ir 

.e  150C  aar«6  of  g«.'*.-^v:*tx  land  is  aot  en». 


need  »v«ri  biuov  Jx  narij   16^81^  .IOL-.T  eJ  Ilxw  v  •'  ai«-   «i  beifoaa   i 
.noiloiqaoo  IViaoGcoiie   oj    ;OJTLSO  .ttad  ji   b£ri  n*Ic  a'joi*. 
Ic  oitriial  9M  bseu^o  jjsiiw  j-8«i  \£3  os  b-Wu  teuJs-i  ax  jj 
bsvoic   evjia  lie*  Ja3ii::  dolrfr  tc   snc    Y-^   .E-IOJD^   Irieva*  Si»w   . 
faoe  nox^s^a£^-io  »ftj-  'to  ^'jujen   sriT     .wtoa^vc   iLleasoDts   8*i  j.tBveiq   o^  jn. 
o  'r&bneSnf>  o^   3£  doua  .*on  a^w  .eoelq  *^x;   «*ij    nx    ,J-aa,rbw- 
oa*   *aonj  gnontP  eiarfvbslo  biw   ogsxa  rte"  nx   't^xlsi  bcs-u  ;soxw 
bxo 


lo 


nx   Joxi*8jLfa.siw    ;o    aii.- 

B«'*88  ^x   .isvaweu   .ie'aBao  eu   fcii/oo  .^iij-  11^  noad  aa.i  jciveib 
vd  ^yodfi  ^i-^oid  *6*uun  beeeo'iqeo  anj   nx   3tooJ  --niJles   to   v^'s^Ut 

k 

c*  *itoxox«tf8  n<*bd  ev^u  olyow  ,  aeofi  eabwl   ID  noisioac  a.ii-  fcn£   £861    ic   ox. 

tii...  sic  ^.., 


LITTLE  ROCK  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Los  Angeles  County  -  Organized  March  28,  1892  -  Area  4,200  acres. 


The  land  covered  by  the  Little  Rock  Irrigation  District  was  owned 
thtj  f\->t        •  tr-, *« , 
by  the  Alpine  Springs  Land  and  Water  Company  of  which  Nathan  Cole,  Jr.,  was 

the  principal  stockholder.  Cole  brought  in  settlers  enough  to  organize  the 

»"-  * 

district  and  tne  company  then  began  to  sell  its  lands,  most  of  the  sales  being 
made  to  people  in  the  &ast,  many  of  whom  did  not  come  to  the  district  to  live. 

The  company  agreed  to  plant  and  care  for  the  land  for  a  certain  period.  The 

r.   V  •  >r  vy*  - i-r.wj  "i<«J  ••,  i~'.t"".  • 
land  was  sold  at  first  for  $25  per  acre.  Later  they  raised  the  price  to  about 

450  per  acre  with  the  owners  to  care  for  it  themselves,  or  for  |200  to  $300 
per  acre  the  company  agreed  to  put  in  a  flume  and  care  for  the  land  for  three 
years.  The  tracts  thus  disposed  of  ranged  in  size  from  5  to  40  acres. 

At  the  time  of  organization  there  was  very  little  irrigation  in  the 

' .  -  '  ,  -  •  b   '>  £  .  . 

district.  About  80  acres  were  being  cultivated  of  which  40  were  in  grain, 
3  in  alfalfa,  10  in  grapevines,  and  between  20  and  30  in  figs.  The  fig  trees 
and  grapevines  were  soon  pulled  out.  Without  water  it  was  not  possible  to  raise 
much  as  the  rainfall  in  the  district  is  only  about  6  or  8  incnes  per  year. 

By  means  of  colonizing,  then,  and  giving  away  town  lots  to  voters 
who  would  vote  for  the  organization  of  the  district,  the  project  was  initiated. 
Of  the  4,200  acres  included,  1500  were  governnent  land  and  2700  belonged  to  the 
Cole  interests.  The  company  succeeded  in  selling  1300  acres  of  its  holdings 
and  the  remaining  14CO  acres  are  still  in  the  hands  of  its  successors.  Prac- 
tically the  entire  area  of  the  district  is  susceptible  of  irrigation  but  it  is 
considered  that  the  1500  acres  of  government  land  is  not  entitled  to  water,  and 

that  therefore  the  area  irrigable  is  only  2700  acres. 

ifcfl   \ar  ft ,.  •   '«-"- 

The  district  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  Little  Rock  Creek  at  the 

point  where   that  stream  enters  the  Antelope  Valley,   and  the  water  supply  was  to 

d.'   vif 

be  obtained  from  the  stream.  There  is  what  is  known  as  a  "cienega"  on  the 


-  -J. 

30:.,.--  i)Q'i,.   -  £661   ,  t'S  <i9i*U  bus  .in*  '/is"  *   ^nuoD  ebIe;.-,.V.  80J 


faenvrc   a*1*  joiruaxd  noiu^sx'nl  Moon  oUJiJ  t»iw    ^  fewievoo  ba*I  «tlT 

/ 
,  .  it  ,  oloO  nacttott  tioinw  to  '^oBqwoO  netaW  bn*  baud  e^nxiad  oniqlA  «ttt 

««in.;  &to  oJ-  i;iji;one  aielJ^ee  ni  $ii%LO*iv   &ioO     .isjoloru!oo^8  leqioniiq 
yd  seJjeg  «ii^   'to  jaom  ,Bbn«I  a^i  lies  o^  osgad  «8ii*   ^ctiinoo  enj 
.evil   o^  jri'ij-ii;;   MHJ   DJ    on:oo  Ion  bib  rjou*  'to   \iu.?.   ,«8ii>ti  tmj   ni   eiqosq 

.ijoi'jscr  «lc^iB5  JB  'iol  ij«Bl  atU  IP!  a-uss  bcut  t«*Io  oJ-  bosn^e  ^aaqaO'b  oriT 
o*  toiic.  siiJ-  b»ei«-x  \dil*  isJ-jRj     .  eic*  t&r  CS$  10!  Jeiil  J'*  bloa  BB» 
.;^  ot  O'OuJ  10!  no   .aeviasrasiU  j-i  iol  ©1*0  OJ   oiwiwo  9fU  riJ-iw  a'saji  loq 
TO!  farwl  Siij1  iol  a'twc   uoo  stii/li  jj  ni  ^uq  oJ1  b&yi^e  xrtfcc:11t05   *M  atoje 

.aaioJB  O*1  ot  S  cionl  ©sle  ni  beyrtca  1o  beeoqeib  aurif  B^O«I*  sa? 
ni  noiJ-Bgiiii  oHstl  xn«v  •»«  ensAi^  npitfjssiae^io    to  ami*, 
^  ni  6-iew  D*  rioirfw  lo  faeJjBviJ-Jjjo  ^ni»d  tiiw  GQIOH  08 
ail   sriT     .8^1  't  ni  OS  brue    >s:  neew^«o  bti*   «  aaniveq^ia  ni  01  .ellflle  ni 
oJ   ^IcfisRoq  Jon  a^w  ^i  TSJMSW   iuoiijiW     .i'wo  LeIIi*q  nooe  BIQW  B9nivaqa«xy 
i»q  aariDni  8  10  d  juod£   \Ino  ai  Joiijeib  »ri^  ni   ILelni^T  aafr  BJB 
oj  QJ  ol  nwoJ   ^JBWS  ^niv^ij  ona   ^neii^    .gn-txinoloo   lo  nn«sm  \a 

oeioT    enj   .^cin^sjtb  sflJ-  lo  noiJ-jasinjBjiio  erif  TO!  e^ov  bli/ew  odw 
OOVS  wi*  anfii  J'nafnmsvoa  onew  0051   .bsbuloni   eenajs  002,  f1  eiiJ   10 
lo  BSIOB  OQ£I  gniliea  ni  beb»»oooa  Yftnqnioo  snT     .•I'eeTojni   eioO 
.tios^eooua   <3ti  lo  Bbr^n  eflj'  ni  Iliie   ei/-.   ntnoe  00*1  gninisasi  erij- 
ai  i'i  i'uJ  noiJfi^iT.i   lo  eldxdqeoouft  ai  i'oinjeifa  aaf  lo  »eiB  eiiJrts 
bm-   ,!•*•'#  o-   bsX^i^na  ion  ai  boel  jnemmavoa  to  T»IO«  OOfil 

.  aa-iOjB  007S  \Ino  ai  slctejivii  £GIJ 

tf  xesTiw  ioofl  elJ-jij  >o  ebia  Ja^e  orU  no  L^-wooI  ei  Joii^eib  aril 
rfj-  boa   ,  \eIIeV  oqoJCfi^nA   «nV  ei»-ne  naso 
JB  ae  nwcnx  ai  Jraw  8i  eiariT     .ma&i^s  srij-  noil  benijBurfo 


U) 


stream  about  three  miles  above  the  district  and  the  district  acquired  the 
rights  thereto  from  Nathan  Cole  Jr.  It  is  said  that  he  received  $40,000  in 
bonds  for  the  water  rights  transferred,  which  at  that  time  represented  half 
the  flow  of  the  stream.  The  cienega  has  proved  a  very  valuable  resource  to 
the  district  for  in  the  late  'nineties  when  the  flow  of  the  stream  ceased, 
the  district  pumped  100  miners'  inches  of  water  from  the  cienega  and  was 
able  to  carry  through  the  fruit  trees  until  more  favorable  conditions  returned. 
As  the  district  is  at  present  and  has  been  for  some  time  the  only  user  of 
water  on  the  stream,  it  seems  likely  that  it  has  now  acquired  a  right  to  tae 
entire  flow  of  the  stream. 

The  construction  work  of  the  district  was  all  handled  by  the  Alpine 
Springs  Land  and  Water  Company.  The  main  ditch  was  excavated  in  earth  and 
h?id  a  length  of  2  1/2  miles;  200  feet  of  flume  were  constructed;  and  lateral 
ditches  lined  with  cobblestones  were  built.  A  man  named  Billings,  who  was 
allied  with  the  Cole  interests,  paid  for  the  construction  of  the  main  ditch  in 
cash  and  received  bonds  of  the  district.  Philip  Shattucker  received  bonds  in 
payment  for  the  construction  of  tne  rock  lined  laterals. 

The  original  bond  issue  of  the  district  was  £50,000  and  a  second 
ieeue  of  (70,000  was  voted  later,  making  a  total  of  $120,000.  Both  of  these 
issues  were  confirmed  by  order  of  court  of  Kovember  23,  1897.  Of  the  amount 
thus  voted,  only  $88,000  were  issued.  There  is  no  record  of  any  sales  of  bonds 
for  cash  and  it  seems  that  the  bonds  were  traded  for  water  rights,  construction 
,vork ,  and  other  expenses.  The  Alpine  Springs  Land  and  later  Company  seems  to 
have  had  entire  charge  of  tnehandling  of  the  bonds  and  it  is  claimed  that  the 
conds  were  issued  for  very  poor  value.  It  seems  certain  that  the  spirit  of 
the  law  regarding  the  sale  of  bonus  was  not  complied  v.ith,  although  it  is  said 
that  the  attorney  for  the  district,  Mr.  D.  P.  Hatch,  was  very  careful  and  tb» 
letter  of  the  law  may  have  been  followed. 


*  si-si 


ssl^--. 
a*.--; 


liaa 


- 


.,*c 


aci--i^<; 


ic  -.66.  \; 


s 
l 

.•  .  —'    "  ,    y'  .  • 


j^ 


.  --.-.«I  * 


.U6T.  *      .  3  -Jan    -:"»»  3s.tc."  -i  =  .':  ;o  t        .-/   i-»e..    zsa 
alae  s^-    le  aci*  '.in^sacs   ?i.'   "cl  iiec    .s^Siis-;  s.-    .-..*_» 


.2l*-i&.-il  asr^i 


Ic   i;oc     .DOO.^ti;  Ic   Ls.-  ;,-  ^ 


i    :: 

:3».-i* 

o»   aa» 


la 


n  «c  ai   s 


an* 


lo  ^i^lq 
tLee  «i  J'*  .  -'-    , 


i*i;e  =  4.   aia»  COZ.cc,   \L=.       .-,-- 
a&c;      s.-?  r^.v  :  .*i   : 


..-  r. 


ce 


:  . 


(3) 


The  difficulties  of  the  district  seem  to  have  been  due  to  tr.e 
incomplete  knowledge  of  the  proaoters  and  settlers  aa  to  the  crops  for  which 
the  land  and  climate  was  test  suited.  Prunes  and  almonds  were  planted  at  the 
start  and  both  were  found  to  be  unprofitable .  Hie  crops  which  could  be  raised 
•ere  too  light  and  the  cost  of  handling  ate  up  the  gross  receipts.  In  the 
aarly  days  of  the  district  eoneone  had  planted  a  few  pear  and  apple  trees  and 
these  trees  survived  the  dry  period  of  the  late  'nineties  and  when  they  cane 
into  bearing  it  was  found  that  abundant  crops  of  excellent  pears  could  be 
raised.  Of  late  years,  therefore,  the  almonds  and  prune  wees  have  been  dug 
up  and  pears  are  becoming  the  nain  product.  The  returns  froza  the  pear  orchards 
are  remarkable.  It  is  said  that  the  owner  of  the  largest  acreage  of  pears 
realized  in  1310  a  gross  receipt  of  $2, COG  per  acre.  The  pears  sees  to  be  of 
exceedingly  good  quality  and  bring  a  very  high  price  in  Los  Angeles  markets 
because  of  their  good  keeping  qualities .  Had  it  been  known  froa  the  first  that 
pears  would  be  the  crop  best  suited  to  the  conditions,  it  is  likely  that  the 
district's  progress  would  have  been  zueh  more  satisfactory. 

The  depressed  sta-ie  of  the  agricultural  incustry  in  the  district 
caused  by  the  unsuitable  crops  and  by  the  dry  years,  together  with  the  diffi- 
culty in  securing  funds  to  construct  proper  works,  and  the  unfavorable  teraa 
on  which  the  bonds  of  the  district  had  been  issued,  led  to  a  practical  deser- 
tion of  the  district.  There  are  now  only  two  families  in  the  district  who  have 
lived  there  continuously  since  its  organization.  Interest  was  defaulted  for 
a  number  of  years . 

About  1904  there  waa  a  itove  aade  to  do  away  with  the  district  and 

«. 

set  up  in  i^e  place  a  rcutual  water  conpany.     A  compromise  was  secured  with  the 
bondholders  and  it  was  planned  to  issue  one  share  of  the  stock  of  the  anitaal 
coapany  (the  Alpine  Water  Company)   for  each  acre  of  land.     A  number  of  the 
non-raeidente  soon  opposed  this  plan  and  the  resident  landowners  also  found 


aver,  c£  ..:ooa  «oiio  ai-   saJ    Io 

^-t*  -sol  s^o'i  a  «^j    oj    RJK  til-Lues  ant  aidjceoi^  a^U   lc 
J*  ceJa*JLq  siew  aoao&Ia   oa«  swanl     .  beaii--:  ^«^u   3** 
ec  sited  d3it\*  ace-is  ».;r     .  alJJUiloiqm;  83  o-    cave  i 
ettt  »xl     .s^qiso.--i  aao^j  <an.»   qc   a-f 
bru-;  sosV   olqq*  oae  -i^t/q  »*1  B  bs^fi£lq  bed 


»a 


died 


e,U    "to 


eiwr 


olioo   ai*eq  ^nsilasxa   io  aqoia 

»V£»i  B8s»-u   wuiq 

Tisec    s.iJ  u.oil   aaii-Jsi  stxr     .  ^ayaoic;  AI*J.;    9nJ 
8i£ac   lo   .--•_.>  i-.c.-:  jgaj-LEl  ani1  lo  ien.*o  a^J-  ^atw  cie 
to  dc<  c-*  aaea   a-veaq  «aT     .BIS*  ttq  000,  ^|  lo  ^oi 


aoj  .1^  acxiq  d^in  \-iev  t  yirji}  oa* 
aaj  cianl  a-vooii  neej  ^i  bBii     .aaiJiiei,p  ^oi 
ai  jj 


}KOJ  but*  rt.  SJDW  ^x  ^niTieod  o^ajt 
ujjsl  10     . 
SIB  ai/iaq  btu? 

.  sIjjBaii  cre-i 
CI€I  nl 
yooa  xl^ 
'io 


sj-;<Mi  dain  naed  evBft  oli-ctv   gp-s^c-iq  3 
ni   x*^  s«-'bni   laiuili'Oi't^s   ao^   Io  aj*^e   aessaiqsfc  aciT 

yd  bn*  aqoio   elu 


evjari  on* 
id 


ni 

»  o^  bai  .Dauaai  n»si  oed  *oin*B.U>  s.u    Io  a-nocf  3fi^  :ioLi*  -no 
atfct  ai  ezllistip.l  -owj   ^lac  won  si*   anaaT     .Joi-usib  Q.W   Io  noi* 
l     .noilJssiaB^io  3Ji  aonis   \IcjjouaiJ-nos 

,eTre\   io 

bnB  ±oii;aib  ea^   ,t?i*  ^BWJB  ob  o*   acso:  svo«  £  anr  eieaJ   wei  J-tcwiA 
oriJ  aJlw  beouaea  aew  aaiiv.otq.^oo  A     .\a£f,;-sa  i&J&v  LBLJU.\-  B  e3«Iq  a,1!  ai  qv 
.-WE  eof  Io  ioo-a  acu   le  a-uwls  anc  aiiaei  o*  samtalq  BJB»  Ji  baa 

-.    A     .boel   lc  813*  haes  iol   (xnBr'o:03  i*i*3  aotqlii  aci) 
ol  oelfl  BianwoarujI  iaaoiBgn  3/tf  ocu  oalq  ei  .  .  -  .    r>i 


that  under  this  plan  which  gave  tne  preponderating  influence  to  those  owning 
the  ,-nost  land,  tee  welders  of  the  1400  acres  formerly  ownea  by  Cole  aaa  entire 
control.     Tney  were  not  resident  landowners  and  did  not  aoanage  in  the  interest 
of  those  wno  ^ere.     A  strong  opposition  was  thus  created  against  the  Alpine 
Water  Company  and  it  was  charged  that  its  organization  «*«  not  legal.     In  1909 
tftie  was   conceded  ty  all  parties  and  the  mutual  company  again  gave  place  to  the 
district.       A  compromise  was  agreed  upon  under  w&ich  tne  conci.olcers  were  to 
receive   for  tneir  holdings  of   (88,000  in  bonds,  |25,&00  in  bonos  of  a  new  iseue 
amounting  to  $60,000.     In  addition  to  the  fr£5,CGO  of   ine  new  itrufc  tr.ue  exchanged 
for  the  outstanding  indebtedness,  property  owners  vere  to  purchase  tcnoe  to  the 
amount  of  (15,000  in  order  that  the  works  of  the  district  might  be  repaired  and 
improved  and  the  water  system  placed  in  a  state  of  efficiency.     This  cocprondee 
has  not  been  carried  to  completion  as  yet  although  tee  owners  of  the  cuttiancing 
bonds  have  all  agreed  to  the  exchange.     It  ie  expected  that  the  reorganization 
will  be  cojq&leted  within  the  next  few  aonthepan.  1912). 

The  litigation  to  which  the  district  nae  been  a  party  hae  not  been 
very  serioue  or  extensive,     five  suite  are  of  record,   tiro  of  which  were  in  re 
pater  rights,  one  for  the  confirmation  of   t&e  tones,   one  in  the  matter  of  the 
dissolution  of  tee  oietrict  with  a  view  to  forcing  the  Alpine  l»ater  Cocpany, 
ar.c  a  suit  of  various  landowners  againet  the  Alpine  Water  Company  and  the  cie- 
trict  decMjnding  a  return  of  t&e  district  fora  of  organization.     This  last  case 
was  cieniesed  by  the  consent  of  the  parties  and  the  settlement  aade  was,  as 
stated  above,   favorable  to  the  district. 

On  the  whole,   tee  district  has  veec  very  beneficial  to  the  cowwuaity . 
There  exe  now  atout  7CO  acres  of  land  irrigated  and  the  cocnunity  ie  very  pros- 
per ous.     Land  is  worth  |45  to  $1,000  per  acre  and  with  the   settlement  of  the 
outstanding  indebtedness  and  the  improvement  of  toe  water  syeterr  it  will  doubt- 
less go  r-uch  higher.     Whatever  difficulties  have  been  encountered  by  the  district 
have  not  been  due  to  any  defects  of  the  Iright  Act  but  rather  to  the  ineufficiect 


ruslq  aiitt  ISD«U 

asiae  OC#1  aa.j   Ic  aiacloii  »*U   ,wui  lao, 

&fur  fix   S^TSOI  jca  oia  oms  aiaawobtuil  J-aei>x33i  JO.T   aisw  X9afr     .  lounoo 
»iii   J8flii.^»s  oaliidio   siirlr   a«»  ...;...-   ^.'.cija  ^      ,vi*;.   odw  oaa.ij   lo 
nl     .i*3til  ^on   &  «  aox^isiassio  8*1  ia&t  begie.ia  saw  ^i  i>n*  ^uacacO 

\ro>qao3   jjuufv..   »*"U   bn£  aex^ific   lie   \a   oocaoaoo   a»» 
.u   r.c^av  isc.u-  no.qii   LS«T^JB  saw  »exCiC"i<TiBoo  A        . 
-."»a  a  lo   3dnou   .ix  J00,^#  ,scnod  ai  000,96^  lo  ago^iloa  nxac^  ici  •r 

•  nai^x^oe  rtl     .0 

•dl  o-   ajacJ  d3&-.o~jc         g-i-^v  3":sHi*c   \si  ,  £E3nb.:Joso 

one  b«aiBq3^  &d  Ja^ir  ^3xi-*3xi3  siiJ   to   S»T:.I    -jjj  j£^r   -iso-io  nx   Jj  ',»!>  lo 

ax;;?     .  xoo^i'-t^^a  ^°  9»*a»3  -<•   -ii  b»aalq  ad^axs  isu*w  eaJ1   jite  ievoiqnix 
>rL'  "to   3-it*«wo   o.tr  rt^oa-Is  ^e'{  as  noi*  t»Iqasoo  c;  baxTies  aooi  ?on  asri 
sat  ^£;ii-  bsrasqx*  9*   il     .  d^neaoxs   &ii?   o-   iosi^  lie   sv^.i  aiincd 

al  ^XB.T   srU  nxiwi*  oajalcpoo  « 


OX    «T3«    ilOXilW    1C     0«     t  0*JOS»-i    10     3T£    8w  ljJ8    aVXl       ,6VX8ndJX9    TO 

lo  id.^££r  30J   iix  sno   ,3onoj   em   lo  no.:Jsi2-iiln:)0   sat  10!   sao    , 
,  vaao-aow  ~*t£.V  ao^qLf;  aaf  ^nxsnol   oJ-  wsxv  £.  »ijx»  /oxn^sx^ 

-alj>  9iij  bos  X.TSV'.EO')  -iivBif  a.iiqlr.    aril  j'aaiJs^B  aismsrooaBl  aaoxw  lo  J'iwa  a  b.tc 
9X.il     .ooxJ  'SXA^t*  lo  «nol  lox^aii)  9a\T   lo  1x11,491  B   .jfliOfu;" 

lo  ^nosaoo  00^  \d  bs33XB93xa  as* 

ti;  o.f  alaaiovrl   .evodjj  a 
.  »c    ,olonw 

-eoiq  \-:b»  si  t-*^a*''ffl!BCC'  aaj  oae  ba^£^xiil  snai  to  eaic^  OD?  Juol&  *on 

aril  lo  J:iaa:ajtejaa   a*U   .iriw  bsjs  eio«  itq  000tl$  oi  2*|  rfHow  ai  fcft»a     .  «jjoi-jq 
-Jcaofa  III*  *i  saj-9^3  -ss»»»  sir  le  *«amsvoiqmi  e,i*   JOB  wscibsMebai  ^nJtbftfif  <lwo 

^i  "      <»rf-^      *'  "r 

6;i-    lo  j   voe  w   ei.  -^  ;s  .  3  :'   ."^.'i   ovrrf 


Loe  Angeles  County  -  Organized  December  5,  1891  -  Area  a, 000  acres. 

The  land  included  in  the  Kanzana  Irrt^ataew  District  was,  at  the   time 
of  organization,  owned  by  three  companies  which  proposed  to  fora  eel cedes  and 
plant  the  land  with  aluond  trees .    Th«  Mutual  Fruit  Growers  association  we*  first 
in  the  field  anc  was  atle  to  sell  over  half  of  iis  lard.     The  i  anx&ca  Colony 
came  a  little  later  and  vae  able  to  sell  scssewhat  lees  than  half  c-f  its  land, 
and  the  Aj  genera  Colony  sold  very  little.     Geo.  Arcolc  acd  Leer,  i«cse  of  Lcs 
Angeles  were  interested  in  the  plan  and  Hihn  Setae  and  E.  V.  Edson,  -u*  head 
rer.  respectively  of  the  tacxara  Cclony  and  the  *&tual  iruit  Growers'   e»«  to  I  •!!«•_ 
were  the  principal  aovers  on  the  ground.     The  plan  seeics  to  have  been  to  sell 
the  lard  to  eastern  and  other  people  whc  would  pay  $200  per  acre  end  to  leave 
thea  to  pay  the  assessments  and  care  for  the  bonce .     It  seeae  to  have  been  a 
purely  wildcat  scheas  for  the  water  supply  was  later  proved  to  be  entirely 
inadequate,     ibe  lacd  wa?  excellent  and  exceedingly  well  suitec  to  irrigatiot, 
bat  the  water  supply  was  conspicuous  by  its  abeecce .     ?he  proneters  planted 
alsorid  trees  arc  in  this  way  were  able  to  secure  a  hi£h  price  for  the  land  cold. 

all  irrigable  if  water  were  available .     A  bond  issue  of  $60,000  was  voted  and 
ccr.firsed  July  9,  1693,   Hie  bonds  being  issued  in  denoaiaaticns  of  $100  each. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  district  there  had  been  a 
series  of  vet  years  and  as  a  result  Kings  Canyon  creek  carried  about  75 
of  water  as  late  as  June  or  July,  and  Tweady  Lake  %as  full  of  water. 

..rcer  of  supply  were  purchased  by  the  promoters  for  about  $1800  froa  a  eert&ia 
Caldera  and  then  transferred  to  the  district  for  |23,3CC  in  bonce  (The  ordinal 
price  was  *27,000  in  bonds  but  it  was  afterwards  cut  down  by  the  court  to  (23,300), 
The  water  rights  thus  secured,  when  the  seasons  of  heavy  rainfall  ceased,  proved 


- 


:.  .  35.-   rti 


:a  c-.ol 
SST  ::  zz*f 


i.-r*   %:.  : 

Isi.;^!  e-f*     .«a*t<    sao*!*   .\Ji»  bael  sot 

18     l^.      t3Te    II»=     =.*     =1.,          TT    iXiE    r  I»i  : 


aa?  .aosbS  .  ^  .i  isi* 
*  ±39386   *«I;»POI£  risni 


jag  a«Ic 


-..15/^54530-:  .ta 


r  »... 


.l.i 


j2j  *i  cj  ^SWCTC  i«-al  as*  X^MW*  -:a.*jp«r  aar 


o*  r»ji 
oa  Isrili*  v^ 


JsutT  S.T!^  ic  I   as 


.i;3a»  e,"    sJf«-   s*:- 


J3    ic 


c 


.  ^  p 

-^u.**   aoaco   ».uf    .EPdl  ,c  viil    i.jrt 
>c   sci-£tlae^-ic   &.-.-    lo   »?.ir   s^  ;A 


. 


Ic   ?=. 
-icse  l 

-    *.-v 

t 


to  be  of  very  little  value.     Vreacy  LaJte   driec  -up  aiiC  trie  flc*  of 

•ig     frr-  '  -  -    '   1    ~ 

creek  ciislinghec  until  there  vac  act  trrer  5  inches  ef  mater  flawing  in  z 
strew. 

A  cox  fliase  was  first  put  in  for  a  dietac.ce  of  about  t»o  zilee.     It 
was  food  thai  e-saporaticr  los-eec  *ere  PC  great  thst  no  water  eoula  be  run  i 
the  flume  curing  the  euaner  n&tthe  .     luring  Tie  sects*!  jear  toe  f  1-ae  *ac 
extended  anc  a  pipe  line   ^c-out  2  1/2  or  3  mite  in  lecgt£  and  ran^ifig  fron. 
3  iccher  dtrrn  tc  1  1/2  incite  ic  dlaneter  vae  pat  in.    Water  WOE  piped  tc 
ranch  Loueee  tut  there  Tae  cot  enoa^i  for  irrigati&n.     Usaring,  tc«  third  year 
the  fluHe  became   dsjuaged  and  from  the  resaiaiflg  »aterial  m.  V 


tuilt.     Ivo  better  rucee«B  wae  had  »ith  this  flame  ami  «&en  it  bfr 


••  further  atteapt  ax  repairs  *-as  maa«  .  The  cect  cf  tie  vork  thec  dso> 

413  ,COC  in  bosdE  .  Tue  boncg  true  ie«aad  •tins  oat  legally  scverticed  ••£  vvre 

^          .  '  . 

cot  ieruec  according  tc  la*. 

The  coeds  yeied  hj  t&e  district,  ae  «t»t»*  acewe,  were  460,000.     H» 

-  -  ***  •''  ?   -  '-:' 

total  aiLOunt  ieroed  vac  4-tC,CXX,  but  of  these  43.7CG  were  returnee  ta  the 
district.     The  net  ieeue  *&.?   -J^erefcre  42&f3C)G.     interest  on  toe  bents  rac 
paid  for  arcut  thr«e  jeare.     When  tne  vater  began  xo  fail  in  1895'  ace  1E96 
the  rt  failed  to  pay  interest  and  refused  to  levy  further  aeceMoectc  . 

Joseph  :-.  .    ".ires,  The  ovced  lor..  -.ue  aBMBrt  of  t4,£CC.  bron^t  ooreral 

.  r   cr.  ;.is   rcrds,   tut  vac  r.c^  able  to  recure  any  cash  return,  althov^L  tko 
-erior  t  of  Los  irgelcf  County  nplnoli  tbe  validity  of  tee  ooaa\i  held  by 

hte. 

¥i--    --:•-=   failure  cf  toe  vater  ovpaijf  the  arooyoct  of  omrrooo  in  the 
rcane  very  poor  and  people  saved  aaaj  fro»  it.    Tbe  vater  of  ilaga 
Canyon  Creek,  »r  •  .-aerly  belonged  to  the  district,  aao  boon  affrapriodat 

a  -.    ..-.      of  Loo  Angeles  for  aao  OK  the  Jaaaotet  line.     The  diatrici,   there- 
for* ,  has  practically  no  resources  and  a  hocwy  oaria  Iaait,am,.<ei4»    Baay  of  tko 
bonds,  koaaior.  are  ovmd  by  porioaa  oaalaa  load  in  the  district  so  teat 


(s) 


U  to  .volt   a;w   bOH.qj;  i>~.  .r.j, 

fix  ^nxwol'l  'i  •£;••#  "to  s&iionx  ci    .  .1  s&* 


Ixjm?  bdriejUunub 


owj  J-jjoj.!;  to  eonEJ-axu   •.  io'i  ox  JL-C   isixt  aaw  aaurll  xoi  A1 

l^uoiilj  iti/Tt  ad  bluoo  -jej£,v  oa  d-^itt  J-sbia  03  e^a*  33330!  aoi^Bioqsvo  ^rfj-  bfiu/ol 

aaj  OBS\  Jnooea   o*U  jniii/a     .  Bii^aom  'isi'issua  ani  ^IXTJJU  aaujll 
i-jjftBi  b«B  .ij-^nsl  fix   asixn  £  -xo.  S\I  2  Juoir   enxl   aqiq  *  bnu 
benlq  aij*  lajt-tf     .  ai  ^yq  gjsw  TocrafltKXb  ux   seaunx  J\I  I  oJ-  avofa  asrionx  £ 
ixii^  edit  ^nxiifll     .noxafi^iiiJt  tol  iigvona  J-on  .aB<y  dietU1  J~ud  aaowoti  fioosi 
wu/Il  iiaqjit'ia   V  B   IflxiaJ^ra  {jn;nx£'se't  91!^  no'il  b.i>;  bu^-unust   afajspacf  aaiull 

d  J'i   ii-o.v.-  bos  -.,;«till   siuj-   .-.Ji  .•  b£ii  a^./  asdaaua  i9JJad 

tcicb   ax-'ii^'   iiow  au.-    to   ^so.    »,:!     .  a--;;m  a^iw  eiXAqe^  -J.  J'miidJJj'  -i-jiij'iy'l   on 
91  «w  bos  baaxJaavbiJ  x^^B0-'-  J'-on  a119*  beuaaj.  ayiij  ajaacf  8iiT     .  abnod  ni  000, 


^  eiaw  tsvoa£ 
Ou    beni&tfsi   eiew  00?,c,y  saeiU  lo  . 

ay  >z  no  j-eaid^fii     .G3£«d£? 

boa  2661  ni   Ii«l  o.r  nn^ad  IOJJB*  s.' 

ban 


^d  bajov  ebno^ 
,000,0>#  8«w  bai-'eaJ: 

asur  euasx  wan  aril     .  ^ 


,  ..  ,,  o'i  .    ,..)-; 


odi 

of  bl»ri  ebnoa 


aa«o 


la 


bXanqw 


o.i-Y  ,36ixq<3   .H 
.ebaod  sxri  no 
eoJ  lo  JrtuoO 


eaj-  ax  aaaoot/a  lo  j-oeqsoiq  e^u  \Iqqua  is^-aw  edj-  lo  enui4«l  a/it 
i;i  lo  I9.tsw  aiir     .^x  /KOT!  x*w*i  bdvan  alqoeq 
•  iOifi\a  ae«a  afift  «^oi  1-9x1)  a^  oi  os^nola 
-e  .  .r     .anil  JaubQwpA  uaj   cto  acu   -.  soJ  to 

jfii 


a«:i   , 


(3) 


IB  an  offset.  Mr.  0.  L.  Liveey,  now  of  Los  Angeles,  rr-a.de  an  effort  at  one 
time  to  bring  about  a  compromise  with  the  bondholders.  The  basis  proposed 
v.as  the  exchange  of  land  planted  with  growing  almond  trees  for  the  bonds,  the 
exchange  to  be  on  the  basis  of  two  $100  bonds  for  an  acre  of  land.  This  basis 


agreed  to  by  all  of  the  bondholders  except  Judge  J.  P.  Vidney  of  San 
ierr.ando  who  held  $6,000  worth  of  bonds  and  refused  to   take  leee  than  $5,000 
in  geld  for  them.     This  prevented  the  consummation  of  the  proposed  compromise 

and  no  further  attempt  has  been  made  to  secure  a  settlement. 

ut  tc  a»<ei9..  *«.TI/.-  . 

There  are  a  few  people  still  living  in  the  district  and  some 
alcond  trees  are  still  growing  without  irrigation.  A  portion  of  the  land  in 
the  oietrict  was  claimed  by  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.,  and  as  the  company 
never  received  title  to  this  land,  those  wno  purchased  from  it  lost  all  they 
had  invested.  Land  is  now  worth  about  $5  an  acre  in  the  district. 

?* 

The  failure  of  the  district  must  be  ascribed  to  the  nature  of  its 
promotion.  It  was  a  wildcat  scheme  from  the  first  and  there  was  no  sufficient 

water  supply  available  .  At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  district  there 

J 

were  Ices  than  a  dozen  permanent  residents  there  and  the  rest  of  the  petitioners 
were  hired  men.  It  is  said  that  the  first  board  of  directors  was  made  up  of 
sen  who  were  not  freeholders  and  therefore  were  not  eligible  to  hold  district 
offices.    The  scheme  did  not  have  proper  justification  and  was  not  honestly 

handled  . 

7H*re  v*)9  a 

v^eet£->:9*  cfc  £*r.t&  Rota  i        =\iu  io  have  MI  ar*a  of  46,000  *ert«,  tvt  up;r. 
Utl  eurvty  it  vae  fdvut*  t*  h»ve  &a  ar*»  *f  cr^y  9,000  ncr»t.  5*1,-  ^r 


-.e  *ntir*  di«  _ricx,  a*td  **  A  r«laUv«ljr 

of   «  ?M,vr   Jrfs  L.vii-.  ilri:  -::••?    cr 


(6) 


•oo  JJB  Jiollii  .-u;    aojsr.   ,  aala^aA   *oj  lo   «/.•:'.    .vgsviJ  .  J  .:  .iU     .  Jssllo  n, 
oaaccoaq   siiec   CKU      .  eidilo;ii»noj   »aJ   ciji*   eai.ioiqcioc  ^   -^oji.   \.tji.'   a.*   i- 

aorl   "U 


*  °«-      -    •s^a^.    i  :.    .-.:    dj    cj-   b 
fia3   lo 


,C$    08.  ij     3381     9A£.      jj     OsaiJldT    OOB     3Jf'.OJ 


auos   ooe  iSi-uaii;   s.xf   n^  a:iivi£   H_-3 

oael   a.i?  lo  aoi^noq  A     .coiJ-^i'i-:.:   jtcaji*  jrtiwan..,    .  Ixji    s-^t 

-S  aTjii^fo.S  t..v   -^ 


.*i   Ic    a-.^.'/-a   o-s.^  c."  iidii  ..  . 

o.i  aea  aie.v   i,aa  j-siit  8of  ceil   aaa.-iaa  j*-joIi-«  ,     •,-  ,/  .*! 
7sx;j  sitt  lo  nozj-^sxfTfl^o   o  =  u*    lo   aisi*   s.x^   j«      .  olu£i:.-  /,-; 
aoj   la  J-SQT  b.U   b^tP   sid.ij    3.-1i9faie«n  «\i 


lo  qc  oLsm  a**  aioj-oeixo  lo   jwd     T«n        a.-j   ji.c    jifc.a   ^^   j-:     ,n9ki.    ,, 
fl  blon  oj-  eldi0xl&    +3.:  a-:yw  a-.Disis.^-    ..-as   s-r.of 
*on  stew  iifc  noii-.silJiS'iui   leqo-jc    sv-^a  jcn  i^j 


Riverside  County  -  Organized  Feptember  18,  1890  -  Area  14,000  acres. 

The  town  of  L'urrietta  ie  situated  on  the  Temecula  branch  of  the 
Atchieon,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  R.  R.,  which  was  fonaerly  a  part  of  the  through  line 
to  Ean  liego.     The  Temecula  Lane  and  Water  Company  was  organised  there  in  the 
late    'eighties  with  the  expectation  of  developing  water  and  selling  the  land. 
It  acquired  2200  acres  of  land  at  £12  per  acre  and  attesptec  to  develop  water, 
but  having  very  limited  capital,  was  unable   to  carry  through  the  plan  and  took 
up  the  organization  of  an  irrigation  district  under  the  Wright  Act  as  a  means 
to  the  cesired  end.     1L.  L.  licks  of  Los  Ar-gelee,  was  tfce  leader  ir.  the  ooveaent 
and  he  negotiated  with  a  Scotch  syndicate  but  was  unable  to  effect  a  sale. 
Although  some  opposition  was  encountered  fro*  E.  V.  Tarwater,  who  kept  a  general 
store  and  oraed  soae  property,  the  district  was  organized  on  Septecber  18,  1890 
to  cover  an  area  of  14,000  acres,  most  of  which  was  irrigable.     Land  in  the 
district  was  held  in  tracts  of  mediae:  site,   the  average  being  about  60  acres, 
Tith  a  few  large   tracts,   tro  being  of  about  1,000  acres  each.     The  principal 
crcp  vas  grain  with  sose  fruit  and  alfalfa  raised.     The  value  cf  land  was 

- 12  and  $25  per  acre .     There  was  practically  no  irrigation  practiced. 

The  district  had  in  view  several  different  sources   of  rater  supply 
and  surveys  were  asace   *.c   detemine  the  test  source  cf  supply.     There  was  a 
vaterrhed  on  Santa  Rosa  fountain  said  to  have  an  area  of  40,000  acres,  but  upon 
an  actual   survey   it  was  found  to  have  an  area  ef  only  9,000  acres.     Nigger 
Canyon,   situated  near  -eoecula  and  L5  miles  frou  the  uistrict  w&s  next  considered 
and  it  was  found  that  some  water  sight  be  obtained  there,   cut  probably  not 
enough  for  the  entire  district,  and  at  a  relatively  high  cost.     There  was  also 
SOBS  though  of  securing  water  frost  Lake  Elsinore  or  Lleinore  Canyon,  and  the 
Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  was  anxious  to  add   tr.is  district  to  its  liet  of 


•-L- 

000,  >I  se-iA  -  0£8X   ,81  TaJir-.  .     iO  -  •{Jm'oO   abiaiavxfl 


orij-  'io  aotiBnd  Bluoa-neT  9£tf  no  b  •  aJt  aJ^sximll  Io  n-j/ot 

aiiJ   'to  i-u-'q  a   ^Iiatnol   3*-*r  itoxi-hr  ,.fl  .  jl  •{  a^ruja  4 
ni   &-.  jsx«£(siio  a.>,#  x*181?'110^  TatjsW  &«fi  on«J  Bluoeoia?  sii? 

srij-  ^nxll62  faor>  TSJ-BW  ^"-^^O-f^v^^  ^°  "  .qxe  arid-  rli-iw 

qoldv-ja  oJ  ba^qrasJ-J-fl  bajs   sio£  taq  SI^  ^js  faoal  io  39-joB  0022  £»eiiup3£  ^ 
ilooj   UOB  nslq  oiiJ"  itairoiiaJ'  wir.t>  oj   alsixiruj  SB*  ,lBJj:q£3  oeJ'J.mil  \nev 

am.bi.:  JB  as  ^oA  JTi^iiW  8itJ  labtii.'  J•ox^J•BXo  noiJ'JByi'ni  JIB  Io  noiiasinK^id  srit  qu 
J~n-  jiij-  !ti  leOBs!  aiiJ-  &BW  ,  30X03:141  scj  Io   3Jioi,V  .J  .;.!     .  bn»  bsnxaeb  9.1J-  od1 

.•lea  fl  ^oe'Hs  o^   3ld««u  BJBW  Jud  a^.yoibiTX8  iioJ'ooS  B  lUlw  bai-uitosQn  eri 
^isnSd  B  Jqjh  oii.i/   t"ieJ;;wiBT  .W  .3  moil  beia^nvoone  asw  aoi^iaoqqo  3.H03  ri 
0681  ,8X  isjc'iiiaJ-qeS  HO  casioa^-io  a>.«  joiiwaib  «rl^   ,  x-ioqoiq  9ffio<i   banvrc  brtB 

a>i»r  ai  boej     .  eXds^iTix  saw  rioxitr  Io  .'«•..-:::   (eaio£  000,  M  Io  jsais  OB  isvoo 
.39TOJ3  08  i-ooJis  ^nx9d  s^ai9v«  eiij    ,  eaxa  muxbam  Io  aJ-ostJ  ni  bXsri  ajsw 
Isc  9.'iT     .iio*»  aa-xo*  000,1  Jwocte  Io  ^nied  o*l   .aJ-o^i^   agiflX  wsl  a  . 

anal  't-j   »ulfj/  eriT     .  bssig'i  .m^XfllXB  bna  d'Xi/Tt  «noe  .U'x?  nijeig  aavr  qa*t 
.1  .  ^xiai  on   ^XlBox^ojBiq  3*w  aiaiiT     .  e*iofi  neq  2S$  brus 

•  itfj-fi-.v  Io  ssoiijoa  d^nsiallxb  XB^ev^3  *ex/  rtx  b«rt  *oxitqxb  »riT 


o 


noqu  Jucf  «S&'IOB  000,0*  Io  fleiu  n&  avad  oJ1  bx«8  rii^  nuoM  jsaoE  *^ruj3  «o 

.  aeiofl  000,9  xlno   ":o  sai/s  rs«  «v«ii  oj  bnuol  ecw  ^i 
J'xeo  aaw  ^oi'Uaxb  9^  raoil  aoXxm  2U  bos  JsXuoaaieT  tean 

tq  ^ud  ,  9-i9n.'    it  uiiaj-J  o   aa  jii^lm  tafjsw  anos  j-jsaj-  brurol   3S#  ."i  bos 
saw  sisnT     .^200  dgxii  \l8vLs  sie>i  js  J~B  bnjs   .^oxt^Bia  9^xj•^s  orij'  10!  riyiiona 
farm   ,rtO\^  10   snoni^Xi  »JlfJ  .noil  i-itr,*  ^nxiuoss  Io  ilai/Oi-W  omoa 

^oxxns  a^s*  x^f;Ci;!''oO  nolts^iiil     dXIfiV  1B93 


(2) 


customers .  None  of  these  plans  seemed  to  be  entirely  satisfactory  to  the 
people  of  the  district  and  when  an  election  was  held  to  determine  whether  or  not 
£150, 000  in  bonds  should  be  issued,  the  bonds  were  defeated.  The  district 
purchased  a  email  lot  and  put  down  an  artesian  well  to  a  depth  of  350  feet, 
and  this  veil  is  still  flowing.  There  is  an  available  underground  supply  of 
water  which  appears  to  be  quite  extensive,  but  such  a  source  of  supply  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  seriously  considered  by  the  majority  of  the  people  in  the 
district. 

The  failure  to  decide  upon  a  source  of  water  supply  and  the  defeat 
of  the  bonds  convinced  the  directors  that  it  was  useless  to  continue  under  the 
district.  At  the  same  time  there  were  numerous  failures  among  the  other  dis- 
tricts of  the  state  and  the  sentiment  throughout  the  district  was  for  disorgani- 
sation. The  re -was  a  small  indebtedness  and  Kutchinson  t  Brown,  tr.e  most  active 
opponents  of  the  district,  offered  to  meet  this  indebtedness  if  necessary  in 
order  that  the  district  might  be  dissolved.  However,  a  subscription  was  taken 
up,  the  Santa  }e  R.  R.  Co.,  contributed  $50  and  hutchinson  ft  Brown  paid  the 
same  sun:  as  the  other  property  owners.  At  an  election  held  December  9,  1894 
it  was  voted  tc  disorganize  and  a  decree  dissolving  the  district  was  issued 
by  the  Superior  Court  of  Riverside  County  on  inarch  25,  1895. 

The  district  had  little  effect  on  the  prosperity  of  the  community. 
There  was  a  long  period  of  declining  land  values  which  seeme  to  have  been 
merely  a  part  of  a  general  movement  following  the  Panic  of  1893  and  it  was  not 
until  about  1904  that  prices  again  turned  upward.  Land  is  now  worth  from  410  to 
$150  or  $200  per  acre.  There  are  a  few  pumping  plants  in  the  district  and  some 
alfalfa  is  raised-  Aside  from  that,  grain  is  the  principal  crop.  The  community 
ie  prosperous  although  progress  has  not  been  rapid. 


smJ-  oJ-  \io*'J8laiSi?,'i  -{leiiJna  ad  o*  bauifcaa  oru?Iq  seen*   lo  anoirt     , 
ton  TO  ie;i;frwu/  aaxmaj-Qfa  o*  olari  atw  nox  Joels  na  ne.lw  bit*  Joiij»i5  art*   'to  alqoeq 
iiT     .  baJfisla.:)  jit*w  ejjnocf  ectf   ,  beunai   sd  blroiia   abnod  fix  000,0fil$ 
x)Co   to  ilj-qeb  ja  oJ   ilsw  muBaJ"w  aj?  nwoi  Juq  iuB  Jol  11/j.Ta  e 
lo  Y-t<3^w^   onwo-ijis;;.-'   eld*>li«vis  OB   ai   •t«rlT     .gninroll  IliJ'a  ai  lie* 
aooo  \Iqqj-8   io   sa-uic  j  a  «ioue  Jwd   ,  avismwxs  t»Jliip  ad  o*  a^-eqqji  ;ioxdw 
ni   olqoav]   wtf  lo   ^iiotam  ent  \d  boisbisrtoo   xlnuoiTea  nsaJ  sv^a  oi  mesa 


J-  Jbrus   ^Itrqu3  -IB^.V  'to   eonuos  a  noqu  •bioei  oJ   aiifliel  eriT 
laany  OU.UJUBCO  ol  aaeiaau  aaw  ^i  i-jerU   aioloonib  ertf  beonivnoo  eonod  eriJ  lo 
-ulfa  tarLJ-o  on^  anomfi   aeiuli^'t  euoTemun  aiwr  oiarii'   emij-  &;.\BH  aitt  ^A 

lo't  aa<.v  Joii^sij  aril  J-uorigwoMrU-  i-naajxaridu  srtt   bros  sj^e  9il4-  lo 
^aom  s.jj    ,rwoi3  A  noaitiiioJjuH  boa  assnb^acfsbni   llAnia  a  SBVT  eieriT     , 
ni   vi«38e>eiii  li  aasnbeJdbbni  aifil  i'eein  ot  beia'Ho   ^oiij-exfa  sfij'  lo  a^nsnoqqo 
af:v  rtoi^.iXToaa'ua  JB   .navawori     .  bsvloaeib  *cf  J-ii^iu:  Jaiti-aii)  ecit  JjarU-  Tab^o 
bisq  a<iroi^  i  riOBiuifioj-iia  bttB  Od^  be^uJiij-jaoo   ,.oO   .fl  .K  »i  Bj-nsS  arij  ,qu 
,9  lelmaoaj  bls/i  noi^osls  rus  J-A     .aisawo  x-¥*aq°'«:l  isriJ-o  artJ-  a»  rai/a  aouia 
bowaax  a^w  J-oxiJ-aib  eri-t  ^axvloaaxb  aeioab  ^  DOB  «sirw,;noalb  o»    i»eJ-ov  ajsw  J-x 
.fiCSI  ,3$  floiBLi  no  x^"°^  abxmsvJUJ  lo  J-JuoO  rtoxioqua  arft  yd 
.  Xviauoaaoo  e*i^   lo   ^Jiidqaoiq  eiij-  no  Goalie  alJ-^xl  b*a  ^oii^axj  eriT 

n&eci   *vwi  oj   amaas  rio.tnw  aaulcv  bfwX  yiinxloab  lo  boiieq  yacl  3  a^w 
toa  «f#  ^x  U«B  6C6I  lo   oxrtaS  snj  a«-£*o-£-£o^  ^flamevoia  jUiaae^  «   lo  4-ieq  A 

OIj>  ffloil  fttiow  »oa  ax  bfljej     .  isaewrqi;  bemui'  nx«3JB  aooJtiq  iscit  ^061  J~wod« 
aiua  baa  j-oxi^aib  enj  ax  aJ-JUilq  jjuxqnujq  »al  a  ai«  a-:adT     ,»io£  iaq  OOU^  10 
qono   Icgxanxiq  art*  ax  ai^ng  ,Jjpftr  moil  ebxe^     •  bssx/s-j  ax 

nesd  Jon  a^iii  .leex^oiq  agt'Oiillfi  Pt/aieqaoiq  «i 


KEEKACh  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT . 

_ 


LOB  Angeles  County  -  Organized  Kay  5,  1893  -  Area  3,640  acres. 


•  >i-  '<•••>         •  *^fm  '-  -..'.rir  • 

The  Neenach  Irrigation  District  was  formed  to  cover  land  in  the 

northwestern  part  of  LOB  Angelee  County  in  Antelope  Valley.  The  landowners 
hoped  to  get  water  from  several  sources.  Water  filings  were  made  in  Cow  Spring 
Canyon,  in  Vest  Canyon  and  in  :  id die  Canyon,  for  500  inches  each.  It  seeme 
highly  improbable  that  there  was  any  considerable  eupply  of  water  available 


from  either  of  these  sources  and  people  familiar  with  the  locality  say  that 
there  was  practically  no  water  available. 

In  view  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  water,  it  appears  that  the 
district  was  given  up.  No  record  of  any  bend  issue  appears  and  it  is  the 
concensus  of  opinion  among  those  who  know  of  the  pact  and  present  affaire  of 
that  locality,  that  the  district  did  nothing  more  than  organize  and  look  around 
for  a  water  supply,  and  finding  itself  unable  to  obtain  water,  it  ceased  to  be 
ac  tive . 


. 


.rj.  .-  .-.     _* .-I 

. e«io«  0*6, £  *STA  -  ££81  ,fi  ite'* 


w"   as.  DOB!  -jdvco  cj  bdffiio;   8£*  j-i't  .*  HiC. 
i-ts^   eqolaja*  ni  \^m;oO 
-   woO  fli   ao*.?  ar.ew  3^011^1  i»-£.i     .aeoiuoa 

jj     .a»£9  aatiwu.  OOfi  lol   ,novu»i>  »Iaoi;i  fli 
lo  xMQ1'*  eXdj»idais«oo  ^JIB  saw 
9-*-   rt*i*  leiliael  slqosq  bofi 


lo 

-.ivT  a.i  ^i   irm  8i0eqq£  suasl  bnod  voe  lo 
lo  ailelt*  JneBanu  cos  «aec    arLt   lo   rfon^  oriv 
xcol  out*  ssiaa^io  ii*ai-   mo.-  ,,....,.:   .ua 
acf  o^  osaueo  Ji   ,i»J.ew  ai^do  oj   ^IJBJU;  llas^i 


il  sal 
aoj  lo  J-i£C 

J  eg  OJ  beqoa 
-seV?  ai   . 
lr   eldjsjOiqml   ^ 
saedi   lo  •j^ri^ia 
on 

D  aot   lo  «&iv 
o'.:     .qu  navij 
^»to:  *  noiniqo   lo 
ehJ- 
oas   ,  X-tQ^'B  TS^BW  a  10! 


OLIVE  I.:.RJGATIOK  LI STRICT. 

San  Bernardino  County  -  Organized  January  1693  -  Area  1,000  acres. 

^•v- 


The  Clive  Irrigation  District  was  organized  to  cover  a  small  triangular 
tract  of  lard  near  Col ton.  The  owners  wishec  to  secure  water  and  render  their 
land  available  for  the  production  of  citrus  fruits  and  thought  the  method  of 
organization  permitted  by  the  fright  Act  would  suit  their  purpose.  The  district 
was  organized  in  January  1893  to  cover  1,000  acres  of  which  860  acres  were 
irrigable  .  It  was  proposed  to  secure  vater  from  artesian  wells  on  the  ranch 
of  Carl  Schimpf ,  and  for  this  purpose  $60,000  in  bones  were  voted  and  confirmed, 
negotiations  for  water  rights  vere  entered  into,  but  the  parties  could  not  ^.ive 
a  good  deed  to  the  land  and  by  the  time  the  difficulties  in  regard  to  title 
vere  overcome,  those  interested  in  tee  district  had  decided  that  the  expense  of 
proceeding  under  the  Wright  Act  would  be  too  great  and  that  it  was  a  poor  business 
proposition.  All  those  owning  land  in  the  district  took  this  view  of  the  case 
and  apetition  for  disorganization  was  presented  April  29,  1689  and  the  district 

was  declared  disorganized  by  Superior  Judge  John  L.  Campbell  on  August  30,  1899. 

~r    WH.S    <tfic    wy    ?  8.  5-  ,"s    -  'r;    :.-•    Jl  .    wr.    -••« 

This  district  was  so  snail  that  the  prosperity  of  the  community  was 
unaffected  by  its  discontinuance.     The  land  within  it  was  neld  in  tracts  of 


about  16C  acres  and  wae  valued  at  $25  per  acre,  no  crops  being  raised  at  that 

' 

time.     The  land  is  now  vorth  from  45CC  to  f!500  per  acre  and  is  practically  all 
irrigated. 


vr. 


- 
"  -  :•    -  ii    .  3kiii  T    :  ...         i*  a 


.^ 


«c   *Ii«r  a*ij*rs£  ceil  t«c*»   ancraa  cc   >s«c.-j-:      *n  :l     .3. 


-T_    ...    i-ri-s^sic 


3 


as* 


c      . 


as  . 


San  25«*»  CCBBty  -  flupatici  fCicciir  7.  1891  .  Area  44, DOC  acne 


The  Otay  Irrigation  detract  wse  etarted  by  a  ncweiaesn  sf  the  eoall 

•KL.C  fell  It  at  toey  sexuLd  ty  leraug  A  district  and  ftaiaiajK  bantse, 
&  water  supply  for  their  land*  xtiri.  votild  increase  tteir  value  jnexgrfold. 

tie  moremerrt  vac  I  .  £„  BcrrJMi.     Othere  interacted  were  1.  £ . 
Spencer  ad  vs.  Fank.     liere  v&e  fros  tLe  rt&rt  &  v«qr  «trc^  •pjieail  1 1  • 
the  tietrirt  en  tLe  groands  cf  ezprnaa*.     Prccaily  pne-fourtr  of  ti*  people   cf 
th»  district  tner»  agqisct  it.    T&e  opp»fitica  «rigina4efi  with  SB  Italian 
witidja  HM  district  vxiieh  w  f"li"ILI'  f  i*  t^t  rlneysrc  and  wire 
Tbey  di£  not  want  irrigatioB.     Dcaauri,  a  large  vianafeer  m.o  BOTBM 
extecsiv*  properly,  vac  their  leader.    Tbe  5&£  Liege  Land  ft  Town  Coapaajr  ••Bed 
a  iBJ^pji  ••MBTt  of  lane  in  tie  cietrict  and  vac  tacitly,  thoTa&a  net  actively, 
9fB«Md  te  the  air  trie  t.     Toe  property  «f  the  italiane  vac  in  the  iriucl*  cf  toe 

.    -..  -  •  -.     -    -       MdU       rt       tkHNHCjn      \  ill     -i    :  ;:.  _:  i  •.:.-;..-..       9M 
•pjNwlt&eci  vac  led  by  a  SMI  naoBc  Banker  Eicitb.    £e  irtltieyHnil  tt  get  an  tuc 
first  tcart  cf  directors,  vac  defeated,  and  l*»r<Hi»  a  titter  eueny  cf  the  cirtrict, 

r  a»era£e  size  of  1  mndWIif  1 1 1^1    in  the  cislrict  vac  •prito&Elf  about 
4C  acre*.     Dr.  toe  Talle;  land*  toe  fljjyjcincic  were   quite  email,  rangix^.  frtoi  5 
to  40  acree,  vnile  on  tte  mesa  laae  tin  Acldia^c  ma  Crv*  •coetAi^g  like  BO  to 
acrec.    Tbe  lev  lane  vac  varth  abcat  |1CG  per  acre  even  vitteat  tae  ftre*- 
-.   cf  irri^aticr  by  tne  dietrict  plan,  and  tae  apper  IvM.  cf  vnicfa  there 
aboat  15,000  or  2C,DOC  acres,  vac  caitatle  uolj  for  ^rain  raiding 
be  irrigacted.  e*d  vac  varCb  cjvjvt  fS  per  cere,    ihe  whole  e.  -. 

t»  eitrac  £nd.t  crcftvrtliiMi  if  it  evald  fceve  been  irrigated,   acd  irri^atioxi 
*culd  Iwm  ixeraaced  Hv)  TeJtae  of  ttae  IcjcJ  ncac/f eld.     TCere  vac  a  very  ••ill 
1 1 1  Igplai  at  that  tiaa.  anfeaUj  25C  acree. 


000, 


-  1681   ,V 


Ilacia  oiil   io  Jaerasvon'  B  x3'  beJ-utfa  ar  I 

ioJ   ^.i^u'-iai  bae  Joii-'eii)  B  sniimol  <£i  t>l*;oo 
.  bl  .11   dBflSTonx  oit;o»  iioxri*  Bbitel 

s-     V 

.3  .  i?  slew  b*Ja8Tt>JfL:  aierU-J     .laeititLu  .  a  .  •! 
oJ"  aoi  ./lot*  a    '^asv  JL   d"i»d'e  eii^  -^cil  a«w 

-  ^o  rijot'o'i-wio  ylSstiot'-i     .  aansqxs  lo 
;ji  ittx*  ijad-j-ni.jjcio  noiJir-ioqqo   adT     . 

.ea.iv  diij-  ni   beg^gftai  asw  rioiuw 
.  /c  on* 


teal  llel  oriw  ST 

\Iqcua  T&J-JBW  B   siwoea 

r     • 

9.1.*  ni  itbol  ddT 
i  .a'«V  oms  taoneqS 
no  Iciij-axb 


j   runiti*  i- 


jr.   ,.1-ujneU     . 


i  J-oew  jon  bib 


J-ori  fi^uorU-   ,iIfioBj-  8J3*  bfu>  JoJciJ-axb  ortf  ni   bnsl  lo  j-nuooiB  aaiaJt  fl 
:    'to  albaim  eitt  rti  aew  snaijU'J'I  snJ1   lo  ytioqoiq  saT     .J'oii^iib  srij-   ot  basoqqo 
sal     .*x  moil   oeauloxa  sa"  Ilev  .eiolsTOii^   ,j-on  blocs  bne  i'oiiwsxb  b9soqo^q 


erfj-  ao  j-fly  o*  beioveabna  s.i 

j    lo  ^noiis  ae,r^iJ  B 
*».  "-•iq  3jsw  ^o 

5  EOT  .ni   ,  XLane 


03  moil  ii 


•toic  an^  J-uohJ'Xiir  nave 
V  8iaiir  riaxnw  lo   ,b«cl  -jeqqtj 
aael-iu  gniaxBT  nxuia  10! 
asw  joxilaxfa 

i 
ja  'n 


?  isitus'S  b«flu»n  n«n  JB  yd  bal  8^w  nox^xaoqqo 
,b«»JBol»b  •««  ,8ioJo»njLb  lo  bteod  Jaixl 
nx  a^nxblodbrml  to  esia   a^Bieva  sflT 
anciaxvxfa  8ni-  abrtel  x'8lL«5V  aril1  flO     .  SSTOB  0* 
odJ  OOB!  juaara  ttttf  no   sliii*  ,saro£  Ot  o^ 
001$  Xuoz*  .id"io*  B.BW  bo«I  wol  8iiT     .88T3B  Jdl 
brte   taalq  J-oxiJBxb  sal  \cf  noxJfl^xini   lo  J 
BJBW  ,8dTOJS  0004OS  10  000,51 
tuods  iiJ-iov»  a**  oiia  .bsJ'^ai'ni  ad 
naeJ  svj»d  bljjoo  tl  Ix  noxjsuboiq 
lo 


, 


j  • 


(2) 


The  district  wae   organized  December  7,  1891  ,   after  a  number  of  protests 
for  exclueion  of  lands  from  the  district  had  been  granted.     There  was  a  heavy 


vote  against  organization.  The  district  as  organized  included  44,  COG  acres  of 
which  practically  all  wae  irrigable  from  the  proposed  source  of  supply.  There 

was  no  town  property  . 

v  •    L.-B..-V   .-ufuf*c    ts    -:-iRe  toy  t-vKp.e    V* 

The  district  employed  James  D.   Schuyler  to  investigate  the  feasibility 

of  the  plan  to  bring  water  from  loreno  Valley  on  Cottonwood  Creek.     ;  r.  Schuyler 

ier^d   tc   x:' 


prepared  plans  providing  for  a  large  storage  dam  at  that  point,  which  would 

if  built  to  a  height  of  12C  feet,  cost  4350,000  and  store  14,150  acre  feet  of 

c  . 


water.  From  the  dam  the  water  was  to  be  carried  in  a  cement  linec  canal  25 

.  y  Ve  r/  tr.fr   'irr  --.tr*  t_r.  •".  i'  ,-•'  :.  F  .rol.iCC'tv  4  »itf-CJt  1ii« 

miles  to  Ronnie's  Pass;    thence   in  a  natural  channel  about  4  miles  to  the  head 

of  Jamul  conduit;   thence  through  Jamul  conduit  (cement  lined)  10.5  milee  to 

.t   ;..•-<;•   e,-.i>  .         ...  .  v,-.-       a^v^j..      ?• 


Fiunnit  near  Jamul  school  house;  thence  in  natural  creek  channel  2.5  miles; 
thence  in  cement  lined  canal,  to  the  boundary  of  the  district,  6  milee;  a  total 
distance  of  46  miles.  The  cost  of  the  distribution  system  was  fixed  by  Mr.  . 
Schuyler  at  |5  per  acre  or  £220,000  and  he  estimated  that  by  building  the  dam 

only  to  the  120  foot  level  as  stated,  "and  by  limiting  the  lining  of  the  canal 
-ict  ' 


to  the  barest  necessities,  the  cost  of  the  whole  might  be  kept  within  $1  ,200,000". 
It  eeems  certain  that  there  was  a  sufficient  water  supply  available  from  the  water- 
shed above  the  dam  to  supply  the  amount  required.  The  directors  made  appropria- 
tions on  the  stream. 

The  cost  of  the  system  as  estimated  by  Mr.  Schuyler  was  far  greater 
.'itm  th«  ccaetnt  of  tr*«  vc«*?3.  '.u*r*  **r<  a.  «•: 


than  had  been  anticipated  by  the  people  of  the  district  and  when  the  bond  election 
was  held,   xany  of  those  who  had  favored  the  organization  of  the  district  were 

•. 

against  the  bonds.  It  was  felt  that  the  expense  was  greater  than  the  district 
could  bear  and  that  it  was  unwise  to  create  such  a  large  bonded  indebtedness. 
The  bonds  vere  defeated. 

;  t  •.•-•  dt«ri<:i  •  « 


..  .;    *._- 


!    :o   nois^.c^s  ist 


xvzf  en 

.    .  rrixraiJ   »«I 

c-*  _S^TJ   :c   as-lt(  aaJ   lo 


f  ssli- 
in»1    io 

:  -*li_   d.  i   -  --:--   IrrrJ-c  .t^  atufcxr    ;»a^roa  ^ec-.  :  -   Iisrjw   T.--J-  ij 

*   ;s«I^s  6     .-:--_...••.    ^  _r   lo   --..  ;.T^::   »2l  :.• 
T      .i   .  r  ..  .    i£v  x*j  i-ra  naxrt"iiir*^s  &;*    Sc  ^ 

=—  r   v.  i    •.;  ;£JW  i*r;c_^  •      «a  oac  .1$  ic   ns«  IM;   5y  ,*^   t*I  . 

tc 
;.  .-i   »vi  ci^ii:-.  .ic^«  «o*    Se  J2«;   *i/    .aaijis^irsfea  ?evis-   so- 


-.5-.  .   r-r«  r.'itui  2   %£*  «r:«ol  .-.--_*   a^.^   -23  ao»» 

eir   evaia  i 
t;ir  ae 


»c    slffcs-r   CcU    -.i    -  :  rer^:^.-  .TJT  2»ei  i*.:  as?v 
ana*  ;i_-^aii  a*a  lo  acir^  lina^-.  c    £.-„    ^«-:c  ..  1  or-  esw  »2c^r  "ic  xa*-"-   .*>•£»-  ^  " 

utg  ma*?*.*  «^tr  Xso*  /I«l  SJHI  .-_     .  »^ac:    i._r  ;«. 
vl  s.   -isi3   *rfina  cc   si^irs*   aev  ,-:    *JEA^   aac  139^  -L    -. 

itHT    830: 


itr.    '.:.=-.    -.-:*.<.  --.'.    ::    -...-    ::.-.::    H    PBCsjSJ    i  ":-..-=.'-    tfkai    tfi 

whieb  the  district  had  been  organized  could  not  be  attainec  and  a  ameaawt  for 
disorganization  began.     Jvew  directors  had  teen  elected  at  the  tend  electiec  six 
they  had,  before  election,  agreed  that  they  would  give  their  eerricee  free  of 
charge  to  wind  up  the  district.     This  roard  refused  to   take  any  siepe  to 
ascertain  the  value  of  the  property  acquired  by  the  district  ETJC  tbe  Moreno 
da«  eite  was  acandcned.     Tbey  eaifl  thai  they  cad  bees  elected  tc  kill  thw 
district  and  "by  God'e  help*  they  would  kill  it.     T^ey  did  not  want  tbe  properly. 
Haalfod  Worthing  was  president  of  the  board  and  it  vss  represented  by  hlji  and 
by  the  other  directors  that  if  aa  aeeeeeaent  could  be  collected  without  the 
expenses  incident  to  a  foraal  legal  aeeeeesent,  tbe  liabilitieE  of  the  dietrict 
could  be  net  by  a  pagment  of  IS  ceate  per  acre.     Just  we  at  azaouat  was  collected 
onder  this  plan  is  not  known,   for  a*  accouati%  was  rendered.     A  wait  was  brought 
against  lesley  Perry,  »fco  wae  the  collector  of  too  district,  charging  fete  with 
ea&exzleoent  of  f undo  aBoanting  to  |516 .61 .    Ihether  OP  not  this  repreeente  the 
MHimt  collected  is  not  known,  but  it  ie  certain  that  the  drtto  of  tte  district 
were  not  paid  and  the  belief  exists  aaong  wany  in  the  district  the  cirector*  . 
appropriated  the  aoaey  to  their  ova  use . 

Itoe  district  hac  several  suite  to  restrain  the  sale  of  property  for 
-.axes  and  to  recover  kack  tsxee  paid  oa  •llajjad  ^^T^fpl   aeeeeemeate , ;   in  eae  or 
two  of  *hich  cases  the  dietrict  was  beaten  on  that  ground  that  the  levy  was  aade 
vithcut  the  consent  of  the  voters.    Ham  was  also  the  case  of  Harry  v.  Ctay 
Irrigation  district  which  was  in  the  nature  of  an  answer  to  the  action  charging 
esbexslenent  referred  to  above .    Perry  rlsriuaad  he  had  the  right  to  withhold  tee 
•jbount  due  hi»  for  salary  froai  the  aaouat  collected  by  hajsi,  but  the  Supreae  Court 
denied  hia  such  a  right. 

The  outstanding  debts  of  the  dietrict  having  outlawed,  it  was 
proposed  to  dtaWgnsi  ie  the  district  and  apetition  for  cicorganiz&tioa 


le  *jgai9b  erf* 

*i-idmevoffi  B  bras  O8a.ce***'  ed  ton  blwoa  beslrtB^no  nsed  b*ii  loiiJ-sib  art*  doxriw 
]>m'  noxcroela  onci  dri*   *fi  i>3*ools  nea^  bed  Biodoeixfa  w»si     .oflgad 

to  Q-s-il  aasxvTes  'xxarij    s»vx3  bitto*  Y*^  t»w   baai^s  .aoid-sols  eiolscf   ,bfiii 


&«£ 

Ow   baioeXe  nasjci  o;:a  xsiii-  J-ml  oijaa  x*rfT     .  baftoboscf*  atew  ai'is  aieb 
»iij-  i-rf^*-  *on  iiib  \9fiT     .li  llii  blyow  ^erij-  "qlea  s'bcD  \cf"  fcrtJB 
bos  cud  \d  b^d•ae?9^q8•l  at-.v  j-i  b«e.   b-u?od  siid1  ^o  i-nabisaiq  saw  grtirU-ioW 

bs-oalloo  &d  bluoo  ^aacmessftB  «a  li  J-uiit  aioJ-oeiib  Tan^o  etij   Y^ 
Qiifr   .^ndmaadaa*  legal  Xeimo^  e  oJ  Insoionx  aaensqxa 
.  OTOB  neq  sJrieo  21  lo  J-n-d^Y*1?  fl  \$  ^aat  ®^  bluoo 

afc»  ^ite  A     .  baTabnai  SBW  j«i;Jmfooo£  on  no!    (nwoiui  ^on  ai  oelq  sirii 
w  raid  gciij-Leris   ,^3ii?:«xb  ahj1  io  lotoallos  an^  aaw  oti»  , 

10   is.-ij-aa,.      .  Ic.EI£|  o^  gftx^isuoauB  sbnif'i    to 
lo  a*d»b   a»i*  J-Bti*  nie^iao  «i  *1  *L;J  ^nwonjJ  Ion  ax 
3*io*09ixo  ea*  *ox*x*exb  an*  nx  Y"8"5  snoma  aj-^lxa  Isxloo"  ertj-  bojs  bJLeq  *on  aisw 

.  »34f  awo  ix9ri*  o* 

nol  Y*'I9Q0"I(?  ^°  alea  eri*  nx-BiJeaT  o*  a*iu8  lBT»yoa  bJs»i 

•jo  e«o  nx    ;  ,  a*ftaneae«eB  Ls^allx  bsa*-1^*  no  ^^  aaxa*  Jiaad  TESWOOST  o*  bnfi 
a>iv?  -^rail  axi*  jBftf  biiuo'i:}  aii*  ao  neJB3d  SB*  *oii*3Xb  ett*  aoaao  doiii*  lo 
.v  Y*1'®^  *°  S8fl2   °^  °«JEj!  ej5*  eieiiT     .»i«*ov  »ti*  lo  *ns8noo  eri* 
noxJ'Of  aaJ"   o*  nawarua  r.j  lo   eiuj^-ii  so*  nx  9£w  aox,iw  *  oil*  lid 
j   oXotui*xvr  o*  jii^xi  e4*  ou  i  ea  baajx£lo  vrns*!     .  avods  o*  b&iialoi 

;u3   sh*  *wd  ,«fxa  \d  faa*oollca  *m/cnua  Oil*  moil  ifusJL&a  lol  tnld 

.J-itgxi  £  riotrs  axn  isxnab 
j-oJnj-axi)  wit  lo   3*u»b  dnia«Ar«."uo   9iiT 
^oxJ'xJ'tjqB  bflj>  *.oxt^sxb  eii*   85xn«3*xoaxb  o*  baaoqoiq 


(4) 


presented  to  the  Superior  Court.  The  creditors,  however,  presented  a  petition 
asking  that  the  district  be  not  allowed  to  disorganize  ,  on  the  ground  that 
although  their  claims  were  barred  by  the  statute  of  limitations  and  were  no 
longer  good  in  law,  they  still  constituted  claims  in  equity  against  the  dis- 
trict. On  this  ground  the  petition  for  disorganization  was  denied. 

Present  conditions  within  the  district  are  very  good.  The  lower  lands 
are  now  worth  about  v3CC  and  the  higher  lands  not  over  v25  per  acre  .  About 
l.COO  acres  of  land  are  being  irrigated  from  private  sources  of  supply  such  as 
pumping  plants.  Land  which  has  producing  lemon  orchards  sells  at  over  {1,000 
per  acre  .  There  has  been  no  large  company  supplying  water  to  the  district 
but  the  farmers  have  lately  been  attempting  to  force  the  Spreckele  company 
to  furnish  t&em  water. 

weru  «  gi-crjs  eauiy  trasie  of  t«fe  vs  :«•?%  ».:-/*- 

Ta*  year*  tf*i&  1687  -,C'  o90  ««x:  i  nd 


V1 

r«a^r   ilx^*  f»V   ,«sl  oi  ocs-. 
•^•r^-i;  i:l  -tcifi^ 


^r 


Loe  Angeles  County  -  Organized  February  3,  1690  -  Area  50,000  acres. 

Tbe  novecent  for  the  formation  of  an  irrigation  cisirict  at  Paladale 
vac  etarted  fcy  tee  resident  landowners  of  the  dietrict.     There  vae  said  to  be 
a  good  reservoir  site  available  and  the  settlers  felt  that  the  only  vsy  open 
to  them  by  vhic&  they  could  take  advantage  of  the  site  to  secure  a  rater  supply 
was  to  fora  a  district  and  secure  the  necessary  psney  by  the  sale  cf  tonoe. 
The  organizers  sees  to  have  been  honeet  in  their  intentions. 

The  land  vithin  the  proposed  district  vas  held  in  hoBeetead  tracts 
of  160  acres.     Every  alternate   section  was  owned  by  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R. 
Co.,  and  it  vas  the  only  very  large  owner.    ttear  the  town  of  Falndale  tnere 
were  a  good  sany  tracts  of  ten  to  forty  acres  each. 

u  ffee  years  from  1887  to  1890  had  been  years  of  abundant  rainfall  and 
the  settlers  had  planted  deciduous  fruit  trees  and  alfalfa  and  had  »et  with 
good  success.     Land  vas  selling  as  high  as  (50  per  acre  although  tne  average 
price  vas  about  $25  per  acre.     It  is  said  t&at  about  400  acres  were  being  irri- 
gated at  that  time,  probably  by  the  Paladale  Irrigation  Gampuay  vhich  naa 
existed  prior  to  the  formation  of  the  district  and  eostieuec  tc  supply  •eat 
vater  for  a  tine  after  t&e  abandonment  of   tae  district. 

Tne  ciEtrict  as  organized  i'etr-iarv   3,  169C,   included  50,000  acres,  all 
of  vhich  vas  irrigable  if  vater  could  sj»jriiB^fj«»cfJl%rt»od  .     Tee  land  is  veil 
suited,  lite   tr.at  in  the  Little  Roc*  district,  for  alfalfa,  ana  pears. 

It  vac  proposed  tc  bring  vater  fros  Little  Rock  Creek  to  be  stc. 
in  a  reservoir  to  be  constructed  in  the  foothills  just  couth  of  Palacale  .     A 
filing  of  £0,000  Diners'    inches  mas  aad«  An  Little  Rock  Creek,  July  23,  1,90, 
and   Aicargoza  Creek  vas  filed  on  for  a  like   amount  on  July  £5,  1B9C.     ifce  •OKBoer 
flov  of  thm  creeks  is  very  snail  but  the  flood  flov  of  Little  Rock  Creek  is 


.3610*  000,03 


^      • 


aoj 


ju  Jsx-jJ-axb  fsci;ft:&iTii  HB   to  noitaftrto  i  sad   iol  J- 
o-    bxaa  a«,/  eieriT     .  j-ox-ijsxfa  eal   'io   aierswG.mBl 

y^w  Y-^""  Qrfj   ^^  *tet  ai-slJ-J-ss  sriJ1  boB  el3'jBli£VB 
iej£w  JB  aiyoe^   o-    a*ia  ertt   :o   98«^i»vb£  e^rd'  blwoo 
.  sbnod    to  »loe 


.J3  .£ 


^Wii  ni 


lo  . 


LL^'tnif't  JTI; 


Ttc 


\TBuaooen  arfl  eiuaaa  bn* 
i   nxsri*  ni  ^30«0ii  rseed  svi^i  ol  ice«B 
a*w  ^aii^aib  baeoqoiq  srij-  axxiJ-iw  fa.ial 
^  bonwo  8*w  Boiioee  »d'j;<n3i)-Ls  \nev3     . 
icsH     .  tenwc  egisl  •'fiov  ^Ino  <«!>  BJBW 

aeios  x-*"10^  ° 
sad  oad  0661 


9  At  \6  be4-i»,rs 
liovae?.*-:  0003  a 
rfoiriw  t«f  werii-  •  e* 
«  ratol  oJ1  BJBW 
ariT 


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b«JB   4,oO 


00^ 


S6I  ajotl  BOBQY 
aooubioao  ba^nelq  a*ri 

Ofii  a/?  riyirf  as  yilllsa  SAW  bcoaj     .assaoua 
biaa  si  J"!     .8*10.8  isq  22^  J-uocfa   afew 

1-!  »iiJ-  y-  \;I^B 

.ioo  faas  joi^oio  eftf  lo  noxj/mol   8hJ 
.J-oin^aib  eiit   lo  JnsranobajBdB  &.t^ 
.l   ,0081   ,S  -o«L'iaa'«'  aesiae-^o   8£ 
ll»v.-  ai  onxi  »nT     .b*ai£^do  nsea   &v&d  bluoo  leJ1**  li 

.atcaq  bru--   4*lI*ilB  nol   .^oitrei,:  isofl  alJ-J-iJ  »rtt  ax 

oJ  ioen'j  aooH  aliJiJ  tsoil  iedfJ9W  gftxtd  o*  fasaoqoiq  sjsw  Jl 
lo  dtuos  tou'i  alliiWool  enj-  nx  beyoui^enoo  90  oJ 

a  000,02  lo 


03J5TSV;-  orii 
-1-iis.  gnxad  £)•!»•¥ 

baa 
8R03 


ILB  , 


000,  02 


tetit 
toiiq 

*  10  1 
eriT 

arw  doirfw  lo 

8»xl 


a  nx 


1   ,£i 


sb^.-n  a.v*  aanonx 


9ii7     .OCei  ,2S  \lu\.  no  J-auoma  aixX  JB  'iol  BO  balxl  BJSW  ^e«-xO 


bae 


.,  well  oooll   aaj-  ji.j    L.».,a 


-i   axaeis  eaaiiJ  lo 


(2) 


said  to  be  very  heary  and  by  storage  a  large  quantity  of  water  might  be  secured, 
Thsdistrict  made  a  cut  in  the  gravel  wash  of  Amargoza  Creek  to  ascertain  the 
quantity  of  water  flowing  underneath  the  surface*  Several  holes  were  also  made 
in  the  mountainside  in  a  search  for  water.  These  werw  fruitless.  The  main 
plan,  however,  was  the  diversion  of  water  from  Little  Rock  Creek  and  they  made 
a  ditch  about  a  half  mile  in  length. 

The  amount  of  bonds  voted  August  5,  1890  was  $175,000.   None  of 
theee  bonds  were  issued,  the  work  done  for  the  district  being  paid  in  warrants. 
These  warrants  have  never  been  paid,  and  those  in  whose  poeeeeeicn  they  vere 
at  the  time  of  the  dissolution  of  the  district,  lost  their  money. 

The  district  was  prevented  from  continuing  its  work  of  development 
by  the  opposition  of  the  parties  interested  in  the  East  Palmdale  Irrigation 
Company,  which  was  organized  to  cover  lands  about  two  mi}es  east  of  Palmdale 
and  which  claimed  water  from  Little  Rock  Creek.  These  parties  employed  Louis 
Luckel  of  Los  Angeles  as  tneir  attorney  and  contested  the  legality  of  the 
organization  of  the  district  when  the  directors  applied  for  confirmation  of  the 
bonds .  There  were  also  a  number  of  settlers  within  the  district  who  were 
anxious  to  have  tue  district  destroyed  and  the  contest  was  made  in  their  name. 
The  point  raised  was  that  the  petition  for  organization  was  not  signed  by  fifty 
freeholders.  The  organizers  of  tr.e  district  had  not  thought  it  necessary  that 
a  signer  should  hold  his  land  in  fee  simple  and  those  who  had  filed  on  govern- 
ment land  and  had  not  yet  received  title  were  considered  ae  freeholders.  Judge 
J.  W.  VcKinley  decided  (July  10,  1891)  that  the  petition  had  not  contained  the 
proper  number  of  signers  and  declared  the  district  never  legally  organized.  The 
district  appealed  from  the  judgment  and  the  case  was  dismissed  by  tne  Supreme 
Court  in  the  case  entitled  Palmdale  Irrigation  District  v.  Erdman  Rathke ,  et  al , 
91  Cal.  538. 


.ij-  ai  -rt 


*s;.":  air.  1<I  zJi'-  ".£--  •   lo  noisisvic    »;wr    3B»   ,  •:*»-:  <roa   , 


-it        _,.  _eO    J-CX-Uel:.    a.- 


s  Ic  ino«  ari 


:c   se 
i-aiors»i^ 


rrxl   <=I*  :  ^-   o«j3«T*-«i  ssiJTj*q  9r«r   la  nsi^i  .iocrjo   eni   yxf 

!  Ic   J"i5 -3   -'&Z-L'  .vier   .-^.-.j  aaoei  ie»cs  oJ  a:  :    SLS»  asirfw  , 

1     i.^  _  =  .&a..JC3    C-U     ^eH10?2»    lib  -      Uc      '. -:  J  ,     .^       S0j     lO    . 

nci, ii.-*.  ;.:c;  10!  _  zics&en^i  *^j   .-.«&»  rsrt^sic  »or    ic  ncij.-:s-. 


^j  .3  aei 

a«.i   .  ,^n;2Xfl   3  ..-   lo 

fid    S&Lil    Cfc..    00*    S3C^.-     SO?     0iC2X3     3*v    Ol 


Cli.2..^      -v-v.- 


.  i.     -c.-Sj-i.   =- 


tevut 

nft  HITT  »e«9  s 


.01  xirL 

3*c  oaf   »-ij.n_,-i  lo  -. 
agBff^  »&r  acnl  0*^-3-  -- 


•>  It 


(3) 


The  district  was  in  existence  for  such  a  short  time  that  it  &ad  but 
little  effect  on  the  prosperity  of  the  community.  The  indebtedness  incurred 
was  not  very  large  and  the  loss  fell  on  those  who  held  warrants .  After  the 
dissolution  of  the  district,  the  Palmdale  Irrigation  Company  developed  the 
reservoir  site  proposed  for  the  district  and  water  was  delivered  for  several 

,  -  *  11    ;-r.C  .*'-*  *-•.::.  ^  ?  C  5  .;•*-  ••  f  ?<-  •  - 

years.     All  went  well  until  in  the  latter  part  of  1894  Nathan  Cole  Jr., 
secured  control  of   the  company  and  under  hie  management  the  enterprise  did 

not  prosper.     The  dry  years  which  followed  eoon  after  completed  the  failure  of 
>jjr$   to   iapro»«  cewiiiion*  rolfcir   v»-   dit.rict  &BC; 

the  company  and  the  delivery  of  water  ceased.     Nearly  everyone  moved  away  from 

the   district  so  that  now  there  are  but  a  handful  of  people  living  in  the 

ell  s\*.:ci:_,  •„"...  i#  zt  ^i~:  i  •--. ,  ,«n. 

neighborhood  of  Palmdale  where  formerly  there  was  a  prosperous  little  community. 
No  irrigation  ie  practiced  now.  Yt'ater  is  pumped  from  a  depth  of  245  feet  by 
one  party  for  domestic  use  but  no  attempt  has  been  made  of  late  years  to  develop 

*'  .1-  ."-•'   j...  . ^*i 

water  for  irrigation.  Land  is  worth  little  or  nothing;  in  fact,  one  of  the  men 
who  had  been  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the  district  said  that  he  mould 

_.:...'».  -  fi    '*•*'. V  %  '  '•  -   ':   •  .  3  i^  -- i 

cot  accept  land  there  now  as  a  gift.  It  is  said  that  Nathan  Cole  Jr.,  has  been 
recently  making  some  movee  towards  repairing  the  reservoir  and  supply  ditch,  but 
it  eeeme  doubtful  whether  much  will  come  of  this  for  it  is  a  project  requiring 

a  considerable  amount  of  capital . 

ius-j^rtt  norU  at        .   Jae.  T.  lnylor  **<  til* 

Whether  or  not  the  district  would  have  been  successful  had  it  been 

,  r.  •-  G  -  -  -  i  *  ~ ".  ^"  *  •  ^  \  > 

allowed  to  continue  its  work  of  development  cannot  be  definitely  known.  It  was 
dissolved  before  it  had  a  chance  to  try  itself. 


tiotia  s  doi.3  nol  aonejaxxo  nx 

tsJ-'eOiTX  s.iT     .  xJ-irtuJsraoo  3iC   lo  x^xieqanc  s  A»*  nc  lottls  eli 
d  Oii-j  sae.tf  iio  IIs'i  ssol  3i»i  b 

i:   s*ai   lo 
is  ^o'i   jutavilsb  aew  laJ.svr  &jt?  ioii^aiij   eri*  icl  v'sscqoic   e^ia 

riJ-£,i  K8I  lc  ^oeq  -iej-jsl  arid-  ai   li^ny  lia^  Jne»  1IA     . 
ed?  fn&s&gtmsx  sia  leb.^i;  brtB  '{oeo^cc   t-i..*    lo   lotfncc 
Ic   snuLLei   iiij  a&rclqacc  i9-l£  .100^  bawoiiol  lioitT^  &x;av  y^b  aaT     .isqsoic  JOB 


r   aoti  ^sor   ca 
vil  SJjcisqso'i.  £  ae*  «^i,-ili•  ^Iiswic^  ei»A-«  elisomlB^  io 

.«/Ofl  baoi^SJSia  si 
o«  JU3   esu  aijsaoco  it.i  \Jieq  s«o 

'10  ano   t*c/!l  rri    ;  atiinjon  ie    :Iv^iI  atio'-r  ai  biiej     .noifngiiij.  tol  18J0W 
#  eu  fed?  biea  ^aJ.^Ieii)  eiij    io  ncx^sioB^io   a.ur   ni   faoniaicnfj  ne»a    5«rf  oriw 
V  n.-:...i.    j^iij  ojc£3  ai  -•!     .  *"ix     £  3»  won   &-.  e.ij   biusl  ^qeoo«  ton 
brua  licvteaai  tiv?  ^ns.ii£^i  8bts*c*   JQVOOL  eaos  ^nixKa  \Iw-B80oi 
q  £  ai  Ji  -xoi  axiir   lo  araos   lliw  hour.:  ishi-an 

.  IfilioBo  lo  jflwco 

lui  jseocL';?  nsed  avi;n  olwow  rox'tfaib  u*J  *on  TO 

fi     .a*caa  x^®^^"-^^^  9«*  .'c-fi.x-  -j  ^a^ncolfvai)  'to  snow  s^i  ei/ax^nos  oJ   b&voil« 

bj;ft  Jx  eiote-J  isvlc 


POliONA  ORANGE  BELT  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT . 
Los  Angeles  County  -  Organized  October  15,  1890  -  Area  4,000  acres. 

ic  xufe  dU-fc"  •  i~  \    'i,  AWCMSI  IMS.  ft  /*•  i-.  ••"•»«•/•;  i  ••*  tJte  \ya'.r.' 

The  Pomona  Orange  Belt  Irrigation  District  was  organized  as  a  result 

of  the  desire  of  owners  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Lordsburgh  to  secure  irri- 

;«:<s  vit:  ;y  ic  <,  \t.  +_ey  1SS.3  rro4£- ,  ±  .  :.  tc  i;:-,ve  -.j** 

gation  for  their  land  which  was  being  used  for  grain  raising.  Whether  any  of 

these  holders  had  a  purely  speculative  interest  in  the  formation  cannot  be 

•  i  .  u »  i 
definitely  known,  but  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  organization  was  undertaken 

in  an  honest  desire  to  improve  conditions  within  the  district  and  introduce 
an  improved  method  of  farming.  The  land  included  in  the  district  was  agricul- 
tural land  and  was  all  susceptible  of  irrigation.  The  value  at  that  time  was 
from  (5  to  $150  per  acre.  There  seems  to  have  been  some  opposition  to  the 
district  on  the  ground  that  there  was  no  water  available  and  that  no  sufficiently 
definite  plan  for  obtaining  it  had  been  proposed. 

The  election  on  organization  was  held  September  20,  1890  and  the 
to  v.ftna  c&tBfc  ruit«  r-pf!R*  to  hav»  teen  ir.x* &X4ccaJ  frr  ,.• 
decision  was  for  organization,  the  vote  standing  40  for  organization  and  17 

against.  The  motives  animating  those  who  voted  against  the  district  seem 
to  have  been  the  belief  that  there  was  no  proper  water  supply  available. 

The  petition  for  organization  stated  that  the  water  was  to  be  brought 
from  Thompson  Canyon,  in  the  mountains  north  of  Pomona.  Jas .  T.  Taylor  was  the 
engineer  for  the  district  and  at  the  same  time  a  lancowner  in  the  district  and 
a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  .  It  was  estimated  that  a  bond  issue  of 

Toe  v'Ct.e  WSS  Hfc".iji:8GU*  f*>r  3,!  r- ;  C  ":  >V  v" :     f  if  t~- CRr"  v 

$200,000  would  be  necessary  to  build  canals  and  works  and  acquire  the  necessary 
property  rights  and  an  issue  of  this  amount  was  voted  at  an  election  held 
December  20,  1890,  the  vote  standing  39  for  the  bonds  and  4  against.  A  contract 
was  made  on  April    1891  with  P.  h.  O'Neill  and  \, .  E.  O'Neill  for  the  developing 
and  furnishing  of  water  to  the  district  from  Thompson  Canyon  at  the  rate  of  (400 
per  miners1  inch  for  not  less  than  50  inches,  and  $2,000  in  bonus  were  transferred 


.T 


.J..V,,/  ,  ..•.,     -  Or;cl   <  -I  T.-'JojoO  basxits^iO  — 


-x'nx  eii/3t»3  eg    ri^tua'abioJ  to  xlitixoxv  t»ad-  nx  jitt-i   10   aTaiiwo   10  aiiaao  aciJ 
lo  x«*  iwttetft'/     .a^s-t-st  ^-£J8^a  iol   beau  gaisd  as*  cioxriw  bn^I  i^sriJ-  -iol 
aa  J-oaru-o  noii*B!To1  srkr  «i  J8»T8^fli   avij-BLjoeqa  x-te'iuci  i: 

aii:v  iioiwfisxofc^ao  9iU  j-^d^  jJi/ca  sl^^il  ei  aieud'  .*t/d   ,;i;voai 
jni  boe  JoJc^axb   snj  .Tiii^x^  enoiJXflaoa  a/oiqcix  ot  eixaas  j-aenoii  OB  nx 
a«w  i'oiijjx.b   a.u  ax  bebuloax  biiwl  eaT     .gnxmiil  lo  faoiWaa  bavoiqici   OB 
j-BriJ1  JJB  et^Isv  er.I     .noxj-f^x'ni    io  el  Jxlqe^aL'a  I  IB  a*w  bnj?  bajsl  L&IUJ 

'    .  .      ','•    "•  .     ¥"•* 

J^  fiol^x-joqqo   aizoa  ns»d  dv^ii  ot  arjaaa   aisriT     .  e-iae  iac  Ofil^  o£  2j 
OK  tout:    bae  eIc,r£lxjsvB  iat£w  on  B«W  g^e.-ij  J'Bdl  bnuoiy  arid-  no 

.beaoqonq  nasd  bjsri  j-x  gninxjBj-do  nol  ttelo 
&6I  ,0:     'xedwwqeS   blari  a«»  noxi'Bsxnas'io  «o  noxJoele  eriT 

S.  bn^  nclJBSxrt^^io  10!  0^  $aj.bnsS3  BJOV  etit    ,noxJ-£si«s^7o  tol  saw  noiaxosb 
noee     ^oiitfaib  atii  J-anxp,^  jsJ-ov  oiiw  saoiid1  ^ax^BCixnuB  savxJ-Qfr.  eriT     . 
.  olijElxsvf?  yIqqL-8  iej-t?w  isqoiq  on  8£#  sieri^  J-jinj-  IsiJled  sri*  *i«W 

eo  oJ-  a««r  idjaw  ouj-  tscU  be^Ja  noiJ-jBSXjj^^io  -iol  noitxd-aq  ailT 
oar  a>-#  toIyiT  .T  .  aeL     .flrtomo*!  lo  rii"ion  anlBJnwon  e.ij-  ax   ,rjOYn«0  noaqinorif 
bns  .rox'UBib  6*iJ  ax  'i»uwobn«l  a  drnxj-  smaa  saj-  jf;  ona  Jox'iu.'aib 


lo   sttaqx  bnod  s  J-f-ri     beJsffliJ-se  afiw  J^I     .  aiolaetxb  to  boood  enj-  lo  -ladmsm  ^ 

blxt/cf  ol  \'t£389!J®n  9<^  bli;o»r  000,00;*$ 


nox^oela  n*  j-^  bsJ-ov  aew  irujoioB  axiij   lo   ei/eai  riB  DOB  airigxi  x 
,froj,T;nca  A     .  i-anxigB  *»  b..B  aonoo"  dd^  10!   62  gnxonjBJa  eJov  arij   ,0681  ,OS  Tacta 
3<txqol6v»b  srlJ  -xol  Ilxoii'O  .3  .  Ji  bos   llisW'O  .H  ."7  a*xw  1981         IxiqA  no  «bj&a 

to   ajfii  siij  J-jj  noynflO  aoaqmoiiT  moil  jDioJ-^iD  ead-  o*  TSJB*  'io  sniriainiul  b»xe 
.-   anew  a^noti  ax          ;        hne  ,«»donx  Qfi  nBrt^   asal  ton  10!  rio«x   'aisnxm 


(2) 


to  them  as  the  first  payment  on  account  of  the  agreement .  Surveys  were  made 
and  a  plan  adopted  for  a  pipeline  to  conduct  the  water  from  Thompson  Canyon 
to  the  district.  In  August  1692  a  measurement  of  the  water  flowing  in 
Thompson  Canyon  was  made  and  the  amount  found  to  be  only  5 .46  inches ,  and 
the  district  in  iiay  1893  brought  a  suit  against  the  O'lleills  to  have  them 
return  the  bonds  transferred  and  compi.  payment  of  damages  for  non-performance 
of  their  contract,  but  it  did  not  succeed  in  securing  the  return  of  the  bonds. 

The  district  attempted  to  sell  bonds  in  1891  but  received  bids  for 
only  $5400  worth  of  bonds,  so  no  bonds «re  sold. 

'..ith  the  failure  to  secure  water  the  opposition  to  the  district 
broke  into  open  protest  and  numerous  suits  were  brought  to  restrain  the  directors 
from  making  tax  levies.  In  inarch  1893  C.  H.  Hanson  secured  an  ir junction 
against  the  sale  of  hie  lands  for  unpaid  taxes,  the  dietrict  failing  to  defend 
the  case.  Other  similar  cases  v.ere  treated  in  the  same  nay.  The  failure  of  the 
district  to  defend  these  suite  seems  to  have  been  intentional  for  in  the  director' 
meeting  of  lebruary  7,  1893,  a  motion  to  authorize  the  attorney  of  the  district 
to  defend  certain  tax  sale  suite  was  lost.  On  April  13,  1893  tne  directors 
decided  to  call  a  mass  meeting  at  Lordsburg  to  discuss  the  proposition  of 
disorganizing  the  District.  The  matter  seems  to  have  then  been  allowed  to  lapse 
until  in  1897  when  a  petition  with  91  signatures  was  presented  to  the  directors 
and  a  special  election  was  held  }.'.ay  22,  1897  to  vote  on  the  question  of  dis- 
organization. The  vote  was  unanimous  for  abandonment,  fifty-one  votes  being 
cast.  The  outstanding  debts  of  the  district,  including  the  $2,000  worth  of 
bonds  issued  to  the  O'Neills  were  paid  and  by  decree  dated  October  18,  1897 
Judge  Lucien  Shaw  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Los  Angeles  County  declared  the 
district  disorganized. 


aa 
r  _e-i  i*r>  «  sifu  ^Si-sacs  of  •ailsj     £  tcl 

ai      u.=,-cii   -.s.^v  5.u    .; 


c  ca  03   ,  'c.>.c;    :? 


i  al«ij-««i  c-;  ^a^iLc^j   STS-^  3.-i.w3  aifc-sasaa  aag   .•awjn     .isqo  c.'ai   aacis 

^^.  ..i  ..   ttrSI  .loi^a  a!      .5si¥j^  AW  ja^i^  soil 


lo 

ji.*  ai  isl   i&jo^ja*rai  assa   &/£a  s^  az*®^   Wiws   »a*AT   osslsc   c^  ^inj'il 
^u  io   vefna/.^  so?  •sitfi.-Uwfi  a,   ^ci»CL_.  £   t€foi   ,""    -T^-i-u's.  la   ^ai^sa 


ao   «C3»  cf  ?§€i  . 
t,-  ..ifii» 


fftl   . 


The  aaount  expended  for  various  expeneee  mac  $3283.65  and  the 
activity  of  the  dietrict  on  the  whole  may  be  euaoed  up  in  the  statement  that 
it  expended  $5283.65  ( inducing  (2,CCC  for  the  cones  issued  to  the  C'lieille 

which  the  dietrict  had  to  pay)  to  find  out  that  it  could  not  obtain  water. 

•*f  **"-  v  »•_»  i?tv   rce$«»r  *f  V---  "•Uxl-.r  :.--!.  --  iv  '«ie  : 
After  the  district  had  ceen  disorganized  the  landowi^ers  began  to 

consider  the  possibility  of  securing  water  by  pumping  and  this  has  since  been 
done.  About  3,000  acres  are  now  being  irrigated  in  the  dietrict  and  citrus 
fruits  are  produced.  Land  is  now  worth  from  £30G  to  (3,000  per  acre,  according 

to  the  state  of  its  development.  The  holdings  are  now  of  email  tracts  of  1C 

-..•t*:*.  c»-  ..-.i?rjta  w?>r.  th*ir  ."•;  icirK  witiin  tii*  .-.  i- 
to  20  acres  and  the  section  is  exceedingly  prosperous.  The  district  exercised 

an  unhealthy  influence  en  the  cocacunity  for  a  time  but  tee  influence  was  not 
very  serious.  The  failure  of  the  district  was  due  entirely  to  the  inability 
to  secure  a  suitable  water  supply  and  had  it  been  possible  to  obtain  such  a 

v    f   ".•".-     »  •  .       .   .         ,."  * 

supply  the  other  essentials  for  a  successful  dietrict  were  present. 


.«    fan*  C3.£92£i  ax- ir  aesnsqx*  ewoi-uv  icl  s&bnac  •  -  jni;o.:j> 

e^J  .ii  qu  00*101:3   *d  'you  alo.iw  $,.\£  no  Joia-^ii  a.il   lo   x--^v-i 
o*  zsisavi   3^«oa  »oi  10!  030,5)  aaibulorii'i   55.  &Si'd^  babnecxs 

.  i&ti-t  a-esdo  Ion  olirco  -i  ^i  .i ;   JUG  bail  oi-   {^' 

> 
ol  r^-.-j-^    :.....-..  *1  3-iJ   L&si.u.j-iO':!./  aaeJ  ^e 

aaols  asJ  aiiiJ  ant   ^ni  ;sii;<5  \-c  T»jj3w  ^ai-ujoas  lo  \-xIUia30c;   eri^  nsaiaaoo 
j   saj    .,»  odj^iiii  daxea    .0.1  S*L.;   s«i5s  000,  £   £uodA     .snob 
Ott-J   5*    )36^  .-oil  ajnov  *rsa  si 
01  lo  8J"Oi iS   llfcJia  1o  won   ait   3....:ii.-'o..   e.i^      .iridmqoldvaij  aji  lo 

.'-:_'.j  -:*_•  daT     .euoioqsoiq   ^I^aiba^axe  *i  aciioi     a.u  toe   SSIOB  OS  oj 
ion  acw  »3Oe011ai  9rt^  ^y^'  eeuJ  £  iol    v.  ......  :os  adr  nc    aonsullai  ^UlBari.ijj  ns 

-Jj33i   a.ij   o*  x-L*"1-'^38  **••!»  ap»r  tziii^ic  siij-  lo  s'ti/IiiBl  erfT     .3uoii»e 
a ot e  niji^Jo  o*  ela'ieeor  tia*J  ;i  s/rf  ^*te   x^cqtr 
s-:s«r  vSinjsii)  XLIR-.OCCCB  r  lot 


RIALTO  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
San  Bernardino  County  -  Organized  October  13,  1990  -  Area  7,20C  acres. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  Citrus  Belt  Irrigation  District,   the   Sesi 
Tropic  Land  And  "Water  Company  was  the  promoter  of  the  Rial  to  Irrigation  Dietrict, 
This  company,   of  which  ex-Governor  Merrill   of  Iowa  was  head  and  Bohnbreak  ft 
Kowee  of  Los  Angeles,  stockholders,  had  purchased  land  in  the  neighborhood 
amounting  to  30,000  acres.     There  were  few,   if  any,  settlers  in  the  Rial to 
district  at  the  time  of  the  proposed  organization  and  Merrill  deeded  sufficient 
property  to  various  parties  conditioned  upon  their  residing  within  the  district 
long  enough  to  entitle  them  to  sign  a  petition  for  the  creation  of  the  district 
and  to  vote  on  the  bonds . 

The  land  within  the  district  was  worth  about  V25   at  that  tine  and 
was  sold  in  srtall  tracts  by  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  and  later  Company .     But  little 
of  the  land  was  under  cultivation  and  without  irrigation  it  was  only  suitable 
for  grain  raising,   and  not  very  well  adapted  for  that  on  account  of  the  insuf- 
ficient rainfall.     Of  the  area  included  in  the  district  (7200  acres)   about 
1,000  acres  was  not  suited  for  irrigation  on  account  of  the  excessively  sandy 

ire   of  the  soil.     The   remainder  was  splendid  land,  Tell   suited  to  the  growth 
of  citrus  fruits . 

Having  secured  enough  residents  to  vote  the  district  and  sign  the 
petition,   the  district  was  organized  October  13,  1890.     The  board  of  directors 
was  naraed  and  selected  in  accordance  with  me  wishes  of  the   Semi  Tropic  Land 
and  Water  Company  and  this  coapany  went  on  the  bonds  furnished  by  the  officers 
of  the  district.     The  legal  steps  necessary  for  organization  were  put  in  charge 
of  J.  W.  Craig,   son-in-law  of  Ex-C-overnor  Uerrill . 

The  water  supply  for  the  district  was  to  be  obtained  from  artesian 
wells  in  the  San  Bernardino  artesian  basin.     The  proposed  supply  was  owned  by 


I   -.-•   .--      —--•  .-•' 


-  ^€£1  .£!  iei< 


s=f 


lf.  «^c    It 


.-j    ;. 


ace 


'  re  : 


...-      _ 


liinsto.  ha* 


.  .       -i,-n   :i 
ni   »jc   Ic  ^ciotc^  ao 


-»   i—  t 


i:^-e    si?    io 
..-    cj  £fitli,"e   I^'sr  . 


Ic  fi 

c^rT  i»e":    auj 


-.   ..  - 

:c  nol   -fT-  «<.»,•* 


t  s,v  icl 


the  :-e«i  Tropic  Congwny  and  it  was  agreed  that  tee  district  should  ta^  righte 
to  1,000  Inrhaa  if  water  and  pay  -w  tee  saaie  in  canes  at  the  rate  of  $500  per 
inch  or  4-50C.OOO  for  toe  1,000  inches.     Teas  water  was  to  be  securec  frcr. 
^rart  of  land  known  as  tie  £.  £.  1C  acres  of  tne  George  Lloyd  ranexi,   tne  title 
to  said  land  passing  to  tie  district,  and  was  to  be  pinecl  to  lie  district  aad  to 
the  highest  point  of  each  2C  acre  tract  ij   the  company. 

lo  pay  for  tna  water  and  land  time  agreed  to  be  purcnasec  the  oistrict 
voted  beads  in  tee  amount  of  4500,000  on  ;,oveaber  17.  189 C.    Py  aecree  of  court 
of  January  3,  1691,   the  bonds  mere  declared  to  be  valid. 

On  utoFMtoer  22,  1390  the  Seoi  Tropic  Laad  and  »ater  Ccoc>any  transferred 
the  oain  pipe  line  and  a  flow  of  30C  miners'  i&ci»e  to  -u*£   oifiricx  and 
reeeiToc  io  exchange  therefor  bonds  to  tee  amount  cf  il5C,DOC.     ?r.e   cospany 
soon  found  that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  obtain  tie  entire  water  supply  of 
1,000  inches  contracted  for  fron  toe  Lloyd  ranch  and  they  secarec  a&u  sold  to 
the  district   a  water  ri^ht  acountiag  to  150  inches  on  t£«  Saynor  rsncc 
(consideration  441,000}   and  a  right  to  200  inches  froa  the  i"e reason  ranch,   some 
cistaoee  north  of  the  Rsynor  ranch  for  which  taey  received  454,000.     Other  pay- 
aeata  aggre Bating  ;  145, 000  were  aace  to  tie  company  or  to  tie  assignees  cf   t&e 
coapany  for  on  Harcn  22,  1694  the  San  I'ranciseo  Savings  Union  foreclosed  a 
mortgage  held  by  it  on  the  Send.  Tropic  Land  and  Vater  Company  and  liillard  it. 
Sheldon  was  appc  receiver  of  the  Send.  Tropic  Canaaay.     In  JleTe»ber,  1894, 

Sheldon  as  receiver,   Deigned  to  :;.  ¥.  Stowell,  woe  nad  coaatruct«a  the  pipe 
lines  in  the  district  under  contract  with  the  femi  Tropic   Coo9Bjv*,the   ::: 
ia  question.    Other  parties  receiveu  9,000  in  bonds  for  various  cocsi;.  :ao, 

salting  the  total  amount  issued  £411.000.     It  was  agreed  that  ttowell  shoulc 
c^rry  on  the  work  and  continue  the  cons  true  tio..  .pelines  on^il  ceaplete. 

At  the  tin*  of  the  failure  of  the  Seasi  Tr.    .:   lame  and  later  Company   t  i      _s- 
trict  found  itself  in  a  rather  unfortunate  pcsitiar  :f  the  Fact    .. 


(s) 


d-u/ec   to 


d-oxi.f-3xb  si  -^I'&t  8£w  Ji  bnt  ^rtpqtroO  oxqoiT  iin&2   arid- 

l«q  00cl|  to  9d-£i  atid"  J-.fi  Bbnoo  ni  aaea   e»»i*  10  1   Tjeq  fan*  193  m  lo  aerionJ:  000,1  od- 
A  .Troll   beitoea   e-i  oJ   a*?*  -isj^v/  axriT     .  serioni  000,1  bud   iol  000,00<i;$  10  rioru 
arid"    .iioiii'i  fa^olj  s^ioeD  shj   ID  asiafc   01   .2.3  ertt   bw  nwcflx,  bn&i  Ic 

buqjq  od  od"  8j?w  bn£   ,^2iidsjto  eriu    oj-  ^niasisc  Jbit*!  bii;e 
.•\rftfajMco  9fij    ^d  J-ois'i^  eio£  OS  date  lo  J-njoq  J-3QilgjLi1 

d-  0e«ig*   euu^  Ofiel  biif   lewj.^  ertf  icl    ^q  oT 
,0?6I   ,  Tl  Tecursvo,,  «o  000,005^  'to  Jmrotn*;  eri^  ai  ecnocf  bed'ov 
ad   od1  oai*;loeb  snew  abnoci  eiij    ,1661   ,£  v^MfU-t   Tto 

oiT  ineS  aiu  0€8I   ,^£  lec'maoeb"  «0 
silt  ci  serionj.   'anonim  00  £  lo  woll  £  M\B  &n.il  QQiq 
saT     .000,061.$  'to  inaoKfs  bitf  QJ  sbnoc!  lotyisftj"   BgruDuoxa  ni 

od   alcfxaeoq  ed  d~0fi  blvow  ii  fpcij  bnt'ol  noos 
js'i  b^oll  o».d  noil  ^&'i  bado^unoo  esftooi  000,1 
00  senonj  021  od-  yujrujoee  ^rigii  Tod^w  a-   d'oiid'sib 
i  erid1  moil  eerioni  OOi  od1  dri^xTt  £  bne   (OOO^l^l  ncx^- 
neiii-0     .  000,^0$  bsvisoe-i  \efi«   ritirfw  icl  noon  Tort^sK  sad'  to  dd"ion 
lo  Q8en^j.es£  futt   oJ-  TIC   ^ojectuioo  s/U   od-  ebjan  ©lew  000,c!M.$  §nxd-£^oiji< 
a  bseolofiio'i  noi«U  a^niv*'?  ooeioinsi'i  neS  9iH  ^661  «SS  fion^M  no  TO! 
btflli  ,  DOB  xaB^C"  -:B^/;W  fan*  bnej  oiqoiT  imsS  eriJ  no  ji   ^a  fals 

;;  al     .\cuacttnc3  cxqo'iT  xm       srij  lo  'icvxsoe'j  b8vn±oqq£   a^w  nobledS 

* 

oiiw  ,IIsif/ojS  .W  .  v!  oj-  i     :..    ,ievj;&oe^  a£  ctofalatiS 

V  .  !  ^  ,       •  .-._», 

ebncrf  siid",  xrffQBioO  c-iqoitT  xmsB  eK^  fid-iw  i'o^id'noo  lebm?  ttitj-aib  ari^  ni  esrdl 
xenos  Bwcxoev  iol  ebnod  ai  OOOg  £  bavieoei  as^d/iaq  lerffO  .noid-sat'p  ci 
.  Ilewoj?  d-^dd-  iaei^*  e/?w  *I  f,000«XJtH  beweei  J-ntom*  I«d-od- 

liim?  esftxleqxq  lo  .  'jeaco  end-  euaxjaco  one  inow  diW  no 

~ne2  erf^  to  Mwlxjel  end-  lo  aou:3- 
^1  f.  nx  IJsalJ;  fan^ol 


lo  \Jcqre 

od   bioa  u 


,iion/:~ 


(3) 


the  mains  and  distributing  system  were  not  fully  connected.  There  was  no 
method  of  getting  water  from  tne  source  of  supply  to  the  distributing  system 
on  a  large  part  of  the  district.  Stowell  was  the  owner  of  a  large  quantity 
of  bonds  wnich  he  had  received  from  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  and  water  Company 
for  hiw  work  on  the  pipe  lines  and  in  order  to  protect  himself  on  these  bonds 
he  agreed  to  go  ahead  and  finish  the  pipe  system  and  take  bonds  in  payment. 

WiMW't  ***•'  *•*•- 

On  their  part  the  directors  of  the  district  agreed  to  pay  tne  coupons  and 
take  care  of  tne  bonds  as  soon  as  they  should  become  due.  Under  this 
arrangement  the  works  of  the  district  were  completed  as  planned. 

Just  what  value  the  district  received  for  its  bonds  is  hard  to  say. 
Landowners  who  are  interested  in  settling  the  bonds  at  tne  lowest  possible 
rate  claim  that  the  value  received  for  the  bonds  was  not  over  50  cents  on  the 

dollar.  On  the  other  hand,  apparently  disinterested  parties  state  that  the 

jrif*  ,  -  ^-JHU  -^ 

district  received  excellent  value  both  in  the  way  of  water  rights  and  works. 
i?r.  Stowell,  wno  constructed  the  pipe  lines,  claims  that  his  charge  for  the 

work  was  the  same  as  that  made  by  him  for  30  miles  of  pipe  laid  before  tnat 

wTtn  H 

for  private  parties  immediately  north  of  the  district,  however,  that  may  be, 
the  people  within  the  district  have  never  been  willing  to  return  the  properties 
received  and  thereby  cancel  the  bonds,  while  Mr.  Stowell,  now  the  principal 
bondholder,  claims  that  he  would  gladly  surrender  nis  bonds  in  exchange  for 

the  works  constructed  by  him. 

.;.  :        boiatf,  I 

Shortly  after  tne  completion  of  the  pipelines  by  Ttowell  and  the 
final  payment  to  him  which  was  made  on  April  6,  1895,  tne  district  began  to 
default  on  its  interest.  The  dry  years  which  ensued  caused  the  artesian  flow 
from  tne  wells  of  the  district  to  cease  and  as  no  funds  were  available  with 
which  to  install  pumping  machinery,  the  district  was  threatened  with  failure 
of  its  water  supply.  T^ie  landowners  refused  to  pay  assessments  and  there  was 
no  vay  in  which  funds  could  be  raised  by  tLe  district  to  secure  water.  The 


(8) 


on 


bus 


.  bedo&Hrtoo  \'XXwl  d-o«  anew  uss^e^a  aiJjLd-tfdnd-axJu  bn/: 

arid'  ctf  ijlqqtfe  lo  ts-ujoe   ail*  soil  leta*  gn/tfreg  lo 
a  lo  is  two  siit  as*  IIs\ro*8     .  d-oi-tfsib  arid-  lt>  *ruec  eg**1  B  ne 
-*  &fifi  bnsJ  oxqe*rT  Jt«e3  «d^  nroil  bevxeo&i  iw.-ii  eri  rfoir^r  sbaocf  lo 
no  liearoi.'v  foew^oicr  od"  ibbio  oi  b««  eenxl  «qiq  ©"4"  «o  iiow  »ifi  rto-1 
ebncJ  93a:ij-  bit*  meJ-e^s  oql(j  ertJ-  nsinil  in*  oesiie  02  cj  Jb0ei3£  eri 

eri?  lo  e-tttfoeiid  eiit  *ifiq  niarij-  nO 
es  ncoe  SB  abtrod  snJ1  "io 

srt*  lo  aiiow 
»si£  autev 


\;«q  o 
aihd"  labnU     .  eub  ectooarf  c 

,  bannalq  eji  beJelqeioo   s*iow 
B  oJ-   bt£ii  ax  ebttod  3Ji  lot  bsvieoei 

eldi'sooq  J-sewoI  eiiJ1  ^  nontocf  ent  gnxJJ'Jos  oi  csJ-seia^wl  ei£  oriw 
no  a^nso  05  IBVC  J^on  a*w  efaftotf  erit  icl  faeviatyeT   stil^v  edj-   tBfid-  mijslo 


'.tifoov  bn*  a^iiaiT  ledfiw  lo  -^isw  erfd-  ax  rid-od  »i;lsv  jKoIIsoxa  tevisobi 

ol  asi£fto  slit  ^xU  anljelo   .aenll  aqiq  eiiJ  fceJoirtfwreo  cri»  ,Ilewod-8  *nM 
e-iolecf  bl*I  ec:i<.    lo  aelxsfc  0£  iol  uslrt  x^  ok-sei  *«fl^  »*>  »ffl*s  9^*  *>«*  ^o* 
,ec  xwn  *£iU  tievewoH     .  d-cl'i^sxfa  ©ilcf  lo  ili-ion  xlsJuxbateax  sald-^q  Btflvxiq  tel 
srf*  ini^sT  o*  ^nilliw  n«*cf  leven  ev*({  Isxi^sib  arid'  nxruriw  feiqcsq 
arid-  von  .  XlewftJS  .iM  felifiw  ,  sbflccf  erii1  X«o«£o  ^aieri*  t-«s 
ai   8£inoi  sir.  lebneiiire  ylbJBla  bltrow  »ri 


10! 


erid-  bnjs  XXe«roJ3'  ^tf  e&fiilsqxc: 


,*tsblorib&ocf 
sinew 


lo  HOxteXqmoo 


isil* 


cf 


Ic 


Q-SLr    . 


,eeei   ,3  IJticjA  no  6b*ffi  3£*  rfoxdw  '  ttirf 
faeueft*  tiolriw 
eiow  ebi«rtl  on  "«j  bo* 

.3    SBW  J  .Y 

;3R8*    ...  ..'ten 


no 


ffJ 


rioxriw 
to 
on 


orchards  in  the  district  began  to  die  and  prompt  steps  were  necessary  to  avert 
ruin.  To  meet  this  situation  a  mutual  company  was  organized  and  called  the 
Citizens  Land  and  Water  Company  of  Bloomington  (changed  in  1907  to  the  Citizens 
",ater  Company)  which  took  a  lease  on  all  water  bearing  lands  of  the  district 
and  took  over  the  active  management  of  affairs,  handling  and  distributing  the 
water  among  the  settlers.  This  company  bored  more  wells,  installed  pumping 
machinery  and  secured  a  permanent  supply  of  about  300  inches  of  water.  Since 
that  time  the  company  has  continued  to  handle  the  water  system  with  marked 
success . 

With  the  default  in  the  payment  of  interest  in  1895  litigation  began. 
Various  suits  were  brought  to  secure  payment  of  coupons,  and  of  bonds,  or  to 
prevent  the  claims  from  outlawing .  Suits  were  also  brought  to  attack  the 
validity  of  the  district,  but  these  were  decided  in  favor  of  its  validity.  The 
most  important  case,  which  finally  reached  the  Supreme  Court  of  California,  was 
entitled  N.  W.  Stowell  v.  Rialto  Irrigation  District.  It  was  claimed  that  the 

contract  entered  into  with  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  and  Water  Company  constituted 

**^A  an 

an  illegal  method  of  issuing  bonds  of  irrigation  district.  In  the  case  of 

Hughson  v.  Crane  and  in  the  case  of  Stimeon  v.  Allessandro  Irrigation  District 
it  was  decided  that  bonds  could  not  be  given  for  work  as  there  is  no  express 

warranty  in  the  act  for  giving  the  bonds  in  payment  for  construction  work.  The 

^  _ 

plaintiff  claimed  to  be  an  innocent  holder,  having  acquired  the  bonds  before 

maturity  for  value.  The  court  upheld  the  validity  of  the  bonds,  saying: 

"'.,e  think,  however,  that  the  contract  is  not  to  be  construed  as  calling 
for  tne  delivery  of  bonds  in  payment  of  construction  work.  It  provides  for  the 
transfer  and  conveyance  t6  the  district  at  different  times  of  specific  water 
rights,  together  with  completed  pipelines  and  right  of  way  to  the  use  and 
enjoyment  of  the  water  rights  transferred.  The  bonds  are  in  each  instance, 
to  be  issued  by  the  district  as  the  purchase  price  of  the  water  rights  and 
completed  pipelines  and  systems  conveyed  to  it,  and  only  upon  the  delivery 
of  a  deed  conveying  sucn  property.  No  construction  work  was  to  be  done,  unaer 

this  contract,  for  the  district Y/hat  it  (the  district)  did  agree  to 

do  was  to  purchase  certain  water  rights,  together  with  the  pipelines  needed 
for  the  reception  and  distribution  of  the  rater,  and  to  pay  for  such  property, 


(*) 


anew  aqieJB  i  oii>  o$  njs§scf  Jojhtfaifc  arid-  ni 

ollto  bii*    besinxgio  aew  ^nficproo  Leui-un  it  rrciJ/L-tia  aioi"  -asm  oT 
iO  er.*  otf  TDSI  rti  Degfteua)  ne-J^nimooia  lo  ynavKoy  'ist^elj  bat  brusj 
lo  abttBl  gaiiB^cf  i&i?w  lie  nc   earel  js  dool  dolriw  (xatsqaro 

lo  ^nece^aec:  »vijO£  erid'  TSVC  ^ooi-  bcus 

bells^snl   .  sllew  enoa  boiod  ^n^qteoa  aidT     .B^el^j•fe3  eriw   gnom/3  *:e^£w 
eonj.2     .nsi'/jw  lo  aen'nni   ')0£  Juods  "to   ^Icfcrtra  ^Kerten.Tsc  G  beiuoae  bnB 

boatBffl  ii^iw  meJaya  Telfw  en^   elbiten  o«    bsuai^noo  ??/>ii  \r«aqmoo  aiij  eaiii' 

.MtOOX/B 

.rased'  noJWr^iiil  5?8I  «i  ^^e-seJ'flJ:   lo  JnemY^  srfJ'nJ:  JX^leb  erij 
at  10   ,ai>nocf  lo  i>ite  .sncquoo  lo  jrtenVFc  artuaee  sj  JTijjircid  artew 

erij  Mo^J-j-ii  of  *ristioir  oalfi  eisw  e^li/2     .  gftlwsi^jjc  moil  arolBlo  eri* 
er(T     .  x^-t^-t^v  8^-i  ^c  iov>.1  ni  faeblosb  eTav  eaa^iJ-  «ud   jloitraib   en^  lo 
unr  .BimoUIsO  lo  j-iuu^   9omcflt)3  srf^  b©no£8T  ij^-t'6"'-^  rioiiiw  ,oa£o 

.  v  IfewoJ-3 


s-.v^W  baa  biwj  oxqoiT  imsa  eii?  ri^xw  o^ni 
rue 

lo  ersao  eftj-  rsl     .  d-oxij-axr,  rtoiJ-jisxTiX  lo  con-Co'     nxuaax   lo   bcn^am  LsgellJ:  rus 


.v  nosiKXJS   lo   eeao   siif  ni  fanr   eftsTD  .v 

oi.\  ai  eiafii-  8>:  inow  iol  itevij-  &d  ton  bluet  abnoc  Jj-srif  fcebxoeb  MW 
eriT     .jiiow  noi^ot'tw  fjrrco  lol  ^Rwn^Bq  ni  abnocf  Sitf  ^nivi^  tol  J'oa   an,?  ni   x^ftr'1' 
eiolsd   sDftod  9ii^   beTii;po£  ^niv^ri  .lebloii  ^neoonni  as  ad  of  beaiijelo 

*o  Y^^^^V  *>&  *'  ^"IAJOS  sx(T     .6ifl*v  70! 


RB  beu*r?anoo  od  ot  ^on  ai  J-o^i^nce  erfr   J-jsrit   ,iev9woti  ,iniriJ   el'/" 
^ol  ae^iivonq  II     .iiow  noi^ci-'i^ertOD  lc  Icara^isc  ni   sbnod  lo   \;iov/Ieb  aril 
laj-.r-  .'/  oxlioaqs  to  ib  J-B  ,  o*  eonx\.8vnc2   bws 

eau  &dj  ol  x*5*'  -'*I  ^>nji  8t- 

,  aonr  -re  .rl  .cd  orlT     .  ^rusrtj-  a^rigiT 

bn                          ••«  erij    lo  ©oinq  •>  a£ilc*ii?c.  or^   BJB  *oit^^..  {d  betr«^i   ecf  ci 

.  -i  o^  r.  -qiq  be^elqmoo 

.  ijJieqoiq  r.ous  lo 

cJ-  fts-                                                                ........              -  ,ro*ni-noo  Bin* 

becee.  B     -.uq  o*  e>»*  ob 

-soei  arii'  iol 


when  ready  for  delivery  and  acceptance,  with  bonds.  V.e  think  the  cones 

valid,  even  in  the  hands  of  the  original  holders ."  Stowell  v.  Rlalto  Irrigation 

District,  155  Cal .  215.  (Decided  ;.'arch  1909.) 

The  existence  of  a  cloud  upon  the  title  to  property  in  the  district 
and  40  t;.   sfr.U^t       »*•«  •»«!<»  *>*''*  eMt  Mre  •  V 

has  been  a  hindrance  to  the  ready  aale  of  property  and  for  that  reason  property 

within  the  district  is  worth  from  $150  to  $200  less  per  acre  than  similar 
property  in  the  same  neighborhood  but  outside  of  the  district.  There  have  been 
many  negotiations  looking  to  a  settlement  of  theindebtedness  but  so  far  these 
have  not  been  successful.  About  $200,000  worth  of  the  bonds  have  been  bought 
up  by  the  Citizens  "water  Company  at  prices  ranging  from  12  to  25  cents  on  the 

dollar,  so  that  the  indebtedness  of  the  district  is  in  effect  reduced  that 
-rii*  arv-it  F  its  V*lu*          tl«* ,  tirt 

much.  Of  the  remaining  bonds  outstanding  (about  (211,000),  $112,000  are  held 

^* 

by  N.  W.  Stowell.     The  last  attempt  at  a  settlement  was  made   in  December  1909. 

It  was  estimated  that  toe  outstanding  bones   (not  counting  those  held  by  the 

.   r «.-**•  «f  -ry  year*   r*<i--ac«d  rr» 

Citizens  V,ater  Company)   amounted  to  $215,000  (face  value)   and  that  the  floating 


debt  was  something  like  £45, COO,  making  a  total   outstanding  debt  (again 

»j**-».-C»»» 

,"v,;  carry  .. '•,  \<j  911 

excluding  the  bonds  held  by  the  Citizens  'Water  Company)  of  about  f260,000.  If 

interest  were  added  to  this  sum  the  debt  would  be  in  the  neighborhood  of 
$4CO,OCO.  The  Citizens  Water  Company  offered  to  pay  the  debt  as  above  (face 
value  only)  to  the  a-nount  of  $260,000  on  condition  that  all  the  property  of  the 
Rialto  Irrigation  District  be  transferred  to  the  Citizens  Water  Company  and 
the  district  disorganized.  This  agreement  was  satisfactory  to  toe  bondholders 
and  to  the  more  prominent  landowners  of  the  district  but  it  was  defeated  when 
it  came  to  a  vote  in  the  district  by  a  vote  of  71  to  54.  The  decision  of  the 
people  seems  to  have  been  influenced  by  the  belief  that  the  bonds  could  not 
be  collected  and  that  by  resistance  toe  avoidance  of  the  payment  might  be 
possible.  The  decision  in  the  case  of  Stowell  v.  Rialto  Irrigation  District 
eeer.s  to  indicate  that  toe  bonds  are  collectible  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
bondholders,  who  refrained  from  litigation  during  toe  negotiations  for  settlement, 


.  eoned  i  ^aajaJ-qfeoas  bru» 

iI  oJ"lfcifi  .v  IIbwoJ3     M.  siduloa  Isnx^xio   eitf  lo  ebneii  siiJ  nx  n&ve   , 

rio-ueM  bebxoed)     .  eiS  ..CeO 


nariw 


eni  nl  xJ"iec;Oiq  oi   oLtis  edt  isoqu   buclo  JB  lo  sa 

no  SB  em  d-Aiii   ic'i  b«ft  xi-isqoiq  1o  else  xbse'i  erW  cj-  eonsifanifi  *  need 
•uslzc^is  fiud^  siojc  tsq  3801  OOS$  o;T  Otl*}  ceil  iid"iow  ei 
need  ev*a  siaiiT     .Joii^sib  »ii*  lc   ai)jce;-uo  Jutf  booriiocfriaisn  anu;s  8fU  ni 
;-.  1   08  o"ijJ   8E&ncbJ-:.ou'.i-j.i«    10  Jri-^elJjee  «  cJ   gnj..\ool   sociJ^iJ- 
«eaa   »v«a  eWioo'  uitf  lo  d^now  000,00£i  JjuodA     .lulaeeoore  nescf  too  ev£ii 
iio  ed-neo  5S  oJ  SI  coll  ^fug.-un  aooxic  J-£   xaeonicO  letatf  anssiJ-^C  e(i)-   ^d  qu 
^jsiitf  D8oifbt»i  *sello  ni  ai  Joi-wais  en^   lo  Ba&ni»s^o'«io<u  enj-  ;fautt  oa 
bla.i  «te  OOC,SII$   «{000,II«$  *I/OC{JB)  gnibiiflia^vo  abcod  sttxnijEinei  erf*  10 

edmeoea  ni   obam  acw  *n€tfroll^a3  a  fa  tqmotja  tsfL  9J.1     .IIowoJS  .W  .H 
\d  ol»ii  esoa'd-  ani-nifos  Jon)  ainod  anxifteJ  ei  no  ecu?   ^ii*  beJ-£«niJ'86  a*w 
gtti-  boc  (eul»v 
tds'o  yji 

.000,OdS$  *wod*  lo 
'to  boetiioddgxsn 

'     8* 

lo  \i-i»qoiq  3ii<r 
blue  xauqcroO  ie*ja* 
•;•..-    o-    v 
BJBV  ^ 
*   to  aoisxoeb  «iT     .  *5  os  IY   '10 

J  ertj  4-«iiJ  lollacf  »ri*  \:   baonstllni  need 


nc  OOC,OS£3 


eri* 


lud 


afaood  9d 
ad  bluow  -aac  erij  OUJB  aid;  cj  bebixe  siew 

.000,00^1 
at/JJev 
oJ"Isx£ 
axb  ertf 
oJ-  faae 
eruio  Jx 
elqosq 
bs^osJIos  eo" 


siit  oJ 

e/-v/ 


.  bssla^gioeib 
le  aiecwobnal  Jn*nxm<nq  »ion 


j-r.j  R  .v  XIowoJ?4  lo  68*0  erii1  nx  ; 

rillco  6-us 


v  ,  aiebloribnod 


(6) 


will  now  press  their  claims.  It  is  probable  that  a  settlement  of  the  debt 

. 
would  bring  about  an  immediate  increase  in  land  values  of  at  least  $1CO  per  acre 

and  as  the  settlement  proposed  would  have  cost  only  about  £36  per  acre,  it 

i*?3    .V.'i    ifi'K     t« 

seemed  to  many  to  be  the  wisest  move  possible. 

cover  1400  acras  -'  «&•  own*<i  trj  C.  0.  Per rin» , 

Unimproved  land  in  the  district  with  a  water  right,   is  now  worth 

about  (25C  per  acre.     About  2500  acres  of  land  are  now  bein^  irrigated  in 
ii.-j  -t-,.f    v"  -H   *f  irrl^'-tion  if   *^-»t»r   ciu'.o   w«   securer  1st  it-     !•:• 

the  district. 

irri,..*  ,i3S  *  ..-,  .1   n-na   ag   3, re*-*:  Itnc   v.»    .;•.  i .-.;    v&l^e  «  .3   a.out 

Although  the  district  was  purely  a  promotion  scheme   and  the  land  was 
sold  for  the  sum  of  $200  per  acre  by  the  Semi  Tropic  Land  and  Viater  Company, 
a  price  about  eight  times  its  value  at  that  time,   the  project  on  the  whole  has 

been  successful.     The  failure  of  the  district  itself  was  due  to  the  inability 

,  ? 
to  raise  the  additional  sums  necessary  to  secure  additional  water  supply  when 

a  series  of  dry  years  reduced  the  amount  available  from  the  original  source  . 

The   fact  that  the  mutual  company  was  able  to  take  up  the  work  of  the  district 
tr«e  fl*w  aiainished  to  About  2  inch*    .  .  c.  L«*M*  w*»  the  cn^i.' 

and  carry  it  on  successfully  and  to  offer  at  the  present  time  to  pay  the  debts 

of   the  district  in  cash,   shows  that  the  project  in  itself  was   feasible  and  has 

been  successful.     The  failure  was  in  the  operation  of  the  district  machinery. 
'.'»xas   a&c   no  part  of   Vie   <v'.    %000    ;-oi..;  th*  •:  .  *6f«j  cVf  . 


\9  give    IB     p'<r.st;.or.e  jrwer  u.»    uisiri-      •:>.;•    -£.:.-    .               a.     T/J 

by  ass^ee'.c-'  •    •;•.. 

.:  tt-.o  vit/>  it-      i.^e-/    f  .    ..••.  ..»v    or    ,s 

Aacdpud  the  situ-r.it.B.  Land  witaxfi  v..t   .•.-•.=  -..-i.*-.  ,t  aev  vsn 

,  :.    v*r   ricv-^  .  sssli  fcy   2 


(3) 


*ij   lc  JaaesLM-aa  *  tedi  *Ia'fidciq  si  *I     .Mujslo  -jieiij  Beyiq  won  lliw 

i-io.fi   -ifctq  301$  jacei  JB  'to  asul^v  boel  nx   eeasnonx  e-jjEXbsffisu.  na  tuoda  ^fix-id  bluow 

'aoo  &vjati  cluow  beeoqoiq 

elcfiaaoq  avoar  ^aeaiw  eiU  oJ 
c*  -*on  ai   (Jagii  isJ->;w  B  ri*iw  J-oii^aib  ertf  ni  fane  I 

lo  a^noc  008S  *todA  .  eto* 


aew  i.op.1  arid"  one  acisuse  noxjor-ioic-  £   ^letuq  s;;w  joi-rtexb  &dt 

,  XrueuaoO  rreJatf  boe  brusj  oxqoiT  iuieS  and    YC'  sic**  "taq  OviJf  to  mi- 8  edj-  iol  fcloe 
BJBii  eloaw  erij1  tto  loeioTq   an^   ,oe.x^  ^£il^  t&  ai/Xev  aJ'i  eefiix^  ^ri'-xe  oL'Ods  SOXTC  A 

X^Jtlxajsni  8ti^  oj-   aub  3/.w  lleajx  JoxtJsib  eat   to  Qiulijsl  en?     .  lulaeeooua  neeu^ 

'    .      . 
xbO£   eijuoen   oi  ^tEassoafl  emye  I*nox^ibb£  aa^   Qsi.fi  of 

3  Icnx^xTC   aoj'  /notl  elJ'jglxcvf  J-«i;cJU£  sdJ-  beoubei  BT^S^  ^i^  ^°  sexier  B 

w 

D  oiV  lo  XTOW  aiij   qu  eijb^   od1   ald^*  sjs?w  -{nsqinoo  leuJum  eriJ   ^i?xi2   fsf.1  eriT 
oiid1   Y^f!  °^   SBIX^  wTie^sic  eiij   J"JE  le^to  o^  bftE  YllulsssoowB  no  ^x  Y**'1-6^  onu 
brw  aXoiaiis't   B/^W  llea,;x  nx  d"06toiQ  eiiJ  IjudJ'  eworia   t rises  iti  tsiii'sj.b  Qdi  lo 

lo  nox^Tsqc  ertt  nl  a&w  eiuliel  erfT     .  lu'taaeooye  nasd 


RIVERSIDE  HEIGHTS  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Riverside  County  -  Organized  1891  -  Area  1400  acres. 

The  Riverside  Height*  Irrigation  District  was  organized  in  1890  to 
cover  14CC  acres  of  land,  of  wnich  about  one  half  was  owned  by  C.  0.  Perrine , 
and  the  remainder  by  various  parties  in  tracts  of  about  100  acres  each.  The 
land  was  all  susceptible  of  irrigation  if  water  could  be  secured  for  it.  Ho 
irrigation  was  being  practiced  and  as  grain  land  the  actual  value  was  about 
.-..5  per  acre.  The  land  was  held  at  about  vlOO  per  acre.  The  landowners  were  all 
in  favor  of  the  move  and  worked  together  throughout. 

The  district  planned  to  develop  water  by  tunneling  and  in  pursuance  of 
this  plan  a  tunnel  15CO  feet  long  was  run  into  the  mountainside  at  a  cost  of 
1 15, CCO.  A  strange  thing  in  this  connection  was  that  when  the  tunnel  was  only 
48  feet  oeep  a  flow  of  28  miners'  inches  was  secured,  tut  as  it  was  maae  deeper 
the  flow  diminished  to  about  2  inches.  Edward  £.  Lownes  was  the  engineer  for 
the  district  and  Langworth  was  the  contractor.  About  $3,000  was  spent  in 
surveying  and  engineering  work.  The  expenses  of  the  district  were  all  met  by 
taxes  and  no  part  of  the  4300,000  bonds  voted  by  the  district  were  ever  issued. 
'  nen  it  was  found  that  the  tunnel  would  not  furnish  a  water  supply,  it  was  thought 
best  to  give  up  operations  under  the  district  and  this  was  done.  The  debts  were 
paid  by  assessment  and  notning  has  been  done  under  the  district  since  1894. 

The  district  seems  to  have  been  managed  in  a  very  capable  manner.  It 
had  no  litigation  and  there  was  no  friction  between  the  various  landowners 
connected  with  it •  They  found  tuat  they  had  expended  money  on  a  false  hope  and 
quietly  accepted  the  situation.  Land  within  the  district  is  now  worth  about 
$25  per  acre  except  for  15  acres  wnich  are  irrigated  from  a  well  by  pumping 
and  are  worth  about  4400  per  acre. 

'      -.- •:  V.* 


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10  i 


jiu    &.OE:  ?•.;    ic   TC 
aJ<.  v  qola/si   o«    JJ&IJOIE.IL,   .•&!-.«'  310  t-riT 
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i^j-    ajntija  /• 
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lie  siew  Joi-s^sio  s.»J   lo   3i8r:<i 
.bowaei  T&ve  ane*  jaxuazc  00^,006?  aaJ-    Ic   .--i^i 

8£#  jx   .xlqqjJB  i&Jfw  «  ueimL-i  JOA  -Ire.-  la.inuJ-   Cu*   ,>-nj    ^.u     ; 
819*  a^defi  exiT     .  anci;  e«.«  ai.ij   ooe  ^ox-uaia   a.tf  •ie^ni:  enoil^Tc-qo  ci    -vo._   oj   . 

.^681  eonxs  joxi^axu  acJ"  TJjni.    ^noo  need   s^i.  -On±.:3on  bnx    ^ii9r;.8?s»a: 
?I     .lanrtBm  eluBq*;;   ^iav  js  ax  be^ruuc  nsea   9v>a   cj-   across  J-oiiJ-exti  OitT 

aieflwoDiW:!  ct?oxT£V  an*  noswje-   noxfax-il    0:1  ap*  eis.iJ    aius  aoxjj  ^ij-j-I   o,-: 
fane   aqori  ael>l  £  no   veno^  ooonac.xe  ofc.»  \sa^  jx-..;j-   bnfol   ^euT     -li  .  j  j.  /  o^j-^ 
^tioo'js  rijiow  won  ax  Jox-steJtfa   aai  niti*;//  na^J     .noi-j^i^xs  sof   osju 

-<JTjyq    X-* 


.«    UilCfi    cl    TO  I    JC>C,,c        '.     i     '1C. 

.i-iox-  leq  00*$  auow"  .iliow  t. 


SAN  J  AC  INTO  AND  PLEASANT  VALLEY  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Riverside   County  -  Organized   August  3,  1891  -  Area  18,000  acres. 


In  the  early  part  of  tne  year  1891  F.  T.  Lindenberger  of  Winchester 
and  J.  T.  Porteous  of  San  Jac  into  launched  a  movement  for  tne  formation  of  an 
irrigation  district  unaer  the  Bright  law,  which  was  to  cover  about  30,000  acres. 
The  landowners  of  the  proposed  district  tnought  well  of  the  plan  and  tne  dis- 
trict was  declared  organized  .August  3,  1891,  the  vote  having  been  56  for 
organization  and  4   against.     During  the  preliminary  steps  leading  up  to  tne 
formation  the  Ferris  Irrigation  District  took  in  some  of  the  land  wnich  was   to 
have  been  included  in  the  &an  Jacinto  and  Pleasant  Valley  district  so  that  the 
latter  was   organized  with  an  area  of   only  18,000  acres.     Of  this  area  some  6,000 
acres  are   eaid  to  te  alkali  land  so   that  of  first  class  land  tnere  was  only  an 
area  of  about  12,000  acres.     The  holdings  ranged  from  10  to  500  acres.     Grain, 
alfalfa,   fruit  and  potatoes  were  raised  and  the  assessed  valuation  of  tne  land 
was   from  |5  to  $40  per  acre.     'Jo  irrigation  was  practiced  at  that  time. 

The  district  voted  (350,000  bonds  and  these  were  confirmed  by  the 
Superior  Court  of  $an  Diego  County  on  June  23,  1892.     J.  A.  Green  purchased 
(58,750  in  bonds  and  P.  L.  Griffin  $6,000,  for  cash  at  90  cents  on  the  dollar. 
To  acquire  water  rights  the  district  exchanged  |112,500  in  bonds  for  14,800 
shares   of   the  capital  stock  of  the  Florida  Water  Company,  which  owned  the  water 
in  the  North  Fork  of  the  San  Jacinto  River  and  in  Strawberry  Creek,  and  $48,000 
in  bones  were   transferred  to  the  San  Jacinto  Valley  Water  Company  for  water 
rights.     The  total  amount  disposed  of  was  $225,250.     What  is  known  as  the  Griffin 
Cienega,   a  body  of  land  of  about  40  acres  on  which  the  water  seeped  to  the 
surface,   was  among  the  property  thus  acquired. 

With  the  cash  received  from  the   sale  of  bonds  tue   district  at  once 
began  construction  work.     George  Llanuel,  of  i'resno,  was  the  engineer  for  the 


iEj  T^IJAV  r.i*3A&i5  gift  OTMIOAI  HAS 

.a-'-iO£  000,61 


rionjL.'.   'to  -la^.udnebaiJ   .1  .  i  IS8I  i>jb\  snj    lo  ^-JBC   vl-u-o  »rf;  nl 
rta   to  ttoiji.unol  =u.j  -joi  ^n6K.t<vdm  u  bftfUxtuei  o$tt£0»l  as?    10  ju'ceJio'?  .T  .  I  bfte 
.at'icv    000,  Oti  ^uoda  TSVOO  oj   cev  riol;-iw  ,«al  J'iioii''  mis  neb.-.u  ^o 

9itf  i>oR  ru?l«   6n3    13   Ile^  Jiiyjouj'  J-oiijjjfcii  ot;8t>t;oi<:    Ouj-   io 
o'i  oc.'  :iet>cf  gnxvBii  aJ-yv   «iU-   ,1981  «C  J'au^uA.  b9sinr.,-io  beixloei?  at* 
oi   qc  d«ia^el  aCj«»JK   Y^inimiJisiq  add-  yni'iuJ     .  d-anj:*^*  >  bns  noJ 
rioin*  boel  sr.J    io   &mos  ni  sicod-  J-oinjaxQ  rtoijBjjcTiI   tiiaTs^  srtf 
e.iJ  JiiiiJ   oa  Joiij-sifc  -{«I£eV  Jnea^alH  baa  o^nio^rl  ae^  9iC  ni  babulorri  naecf  evjnri 
OOC.S   3moe  £»ia  eii!^  10     .eeis*  000,61  Y^no    lo  BSTB  at:  riJ-iw  bssiru-^c   cx?«r  • 
as  X-t*"10  ^w  -''i6iij   boal  aejelo  ueiii    to  i-^ii*   oa  fcwtel  ilwXIjB   eJ  T>J  bi«3   ens 
eio^    We   o^   01  moi'i   btJ^fTU-'i   8a«ialori  axiT     .et^o^  000,  2J  j-uodje  lo 
lo  HO^SU!BV  iasBeRCjs   aud1  bat  baaifi   aTsw  aeoj^foc  bn*  lit'tl   . 

^fW  */;   fasaxd-o/37q  s^:.'.f  noi.fii^i'ni  oi!     .  8T»£ 
eriJ-  Y-^   o&ariilErioo  eo-isw  eae;U    bn^.  abnod  000,oa£^  boj-ov 

seiv  .A  .1     .  3?SI   ,  fiS  9«uL  no   \tfrtuoC  ogeia  ne^   lo 
no  sJ-neo  0?  Jfi   asao  -xoi   ,JOO,d§  nill^il)  .  J  .4  orus  afcnod  ni  05V, 
OC3,«»I  aoi   aano-i  ni  002,  SII^  b^»injjiioxo  J-oii^eia  ©iiJ 

erij-  benwo  ilDiu*  ,  •'{rteqcto  0   ^9ii^ti,l  aonoi'i  aoJ   lo  iiooj-e   I^jicBs  6iU   ^o   eer!a:ia 
d«nJ  \Ti- 

'(ftBqnoG  isjat/  xellf  ^  o^niajsi,  fis^  enj  oJ  oeiTslanfiiJ    eiew  aonocf  ni 
nilliio  arij-  8«  nwon/i  si  ^-rfW     .oes.fiSS^  3«w  lo  baaoqeib  ^niroms  Lafct-&ir?     .  eJrfgin 
«riJ  cJ  beqoes  ibJsw  «ri^  rfoiii*  no  ewiofi  0*  Jtio-ja  lo  bnel  lo  vfeod  a   ,*g*n9iO 

.  byjiupej;  euiid   x^ioqonc  eiij-  yiosnfl  aew  ,83£l^lre 

eono  ^  ^oii^alo  a^tf  suno^  lo  elfis  sri^  moil  bsvies&T   riBBO  8.13-  rid-JtW 
icl  nosni^na  eit^  a/iw  ,ons9i'{  Ic   ,Ieua*',I  egioeO     .^icw 


(2) 


district  and  the  plane  formulated  contemplated  tne  use  of  the  voters  of  the 
San  Jacinto  River  and  of  the  Griffin  Cienega.  About  three  miles  of  wooden  flume 
was  constructed  leading  from  the  end  of  the  Florida  Water  Company  pipe  line  to 
the  Griffin  Cienega  and  from  the  Griffin  Cienega  to  the  east  end  of  the  district, 
just  west  of  the  town  of  heraet.  An  unlined  ditch  was  constructed  for  a  distance 
of  about  3  miles  along  the  nortnerly  edge  of  tne  district  and  a  similar  ditch 
vas  constructed  for  about  10  miles  along  the  southerly  side  of  the  valley. 
Laterals  were  constructed  so  that  there  was  a  total  length  of  ditch  of  about 
30  miles  and  water  was  carried  to  the  west  end  of  the  district  near  Ethanac . 

For  a  few  years  after  tne  construction  of  tne  works  there  was 

enough  water  to  irrigate  all  the  lands  which  were  ready  for  irrigation  but  after 
1895  there  were  several  years  of  very  light  rainfall  and  the  water  supply  was 
not  adequate  to  tne  needs  of  the  irrigators.  Luch  of  the  land  had  never  been 
put  under  irrigation  although  it  was  entitled  to  water  and  the  owners  of  this 
land  made  a  practice  of  transferring  the  water  tney  were  entitled  to  to  other 
land  which  was  being  irrigated  so  that  the  owners  oi  small  tracts  were  placed 
at  a  disadvantage  in  the  distribution  of  tne  water.  Tne  less  of  water  in  trans- 
mission to  the  lover  end  of  the  district  was  very  great  on  account  of  the  seepage 
in  the  unlined  ditches  and  the  landowners  at  the  upper  end  of  the  district  wanted 
to  keep  the  water  there.  The  Panic  of  1393  had  made  it  very  difficult  to  raise 
money  and  it  was  hard  to  secure  returns  on  the  taxes  levied.  The  large  landowners 
refused  to  pay  taxes  and  tne  land  was  sold  to  the  district  but  as  the  district 
could  not  realize  cash  on  it,  no  income  was  forthcoming  from  the  tax  sales  and 
the  district  was  dependent  for  its  cash  income  upon  the  receipts  from  the  sale 
of  water.  The  district  w.».s  thus  obliged  to  default  on  its  interest  payments. 
There  was  continual  bickering  and  a  Crowing  opposition  until  in  1899  a  suit  was 
brought  by  dissatisfied  landowners  in  the  aistrict  and  it  was  charged  tnat  the 
District  was  irregularly  organized.  The  directors  seem  to  have  had  peculiar 


;;».    lo   d'-a:   :.-:-.J    bajslqffibv  U03   jjaj^Ikunol   an*.-.  to    oiiJ  £.u.      J^x-i*- 
ic    j-.'ix-     •ji'iiiJ'  ~uoj/-      .  5j8fiei'.'   ax*:  ix  to  eii-    lo  bos   'i&vxfl  oj-nio;-r.  . 
oj    aaiJ    'J,;lc    v.iu..  :-c.^  ia«r*  ..•  >-ux~ol'I   erio    'io  Jbrrs   tuur  rr.cii   Brutus  a  I  faeJ-OfiJenco   a/  « 
'1      KID  J-  !?/.-.;    .-.«    tj  J37;9nf'i0  i-si'JtiTo   a.-.?  :roil   ^n^  fjjsnsiO  nilliir;   s.itf 
i    ;jjy»."tJo»iOC    'Jaw  iic;-u..j   otiniirci;   ni\      .  J'taaen   lo   ;iwc.»    eiif    lo   i'e-Kr  J- 
rto^iO  "u-Iinia  *:   i>.iB  jCxi."?J:I;    a.-j    It    b^^s   ^I'ldiiJion   t»nj   ~jnc  -I*   aelii:    f   Jwo..'*. 

,  -..till,  v    o...*"    to   9£ia   x-'-'1'1--1'^^  '    s:ij    o-10-^'   as-ii^  01  j-jjodfi   10  1   oeJOLWa.ifO  &*w 
iroJ>;   Ic  fiolxo   lo   lij-g.iul   It-j-oj-  .     a*../    .-i*4dfi>f    juad"   oe   iaejct": 

j"'jxtJ"jij   s..«    'io  ^.19  wr;&«r  i«aj    cJ  C»XTU=C   a«*  ii.C£Aj  oru?  »;.ii 
-    aiiow   O..J    io   ao^.Joi."i,  jaoa    a.iJ   Ta^l*   sii;e\  wel  ^   101 
inii  10  1  \Q£6i  en&ti  uox:v#   :.^iuai  suj   iJjs   3w>-gi-.ii  o^  -lej-;.  «   .-._. 
xi',,qfc-B  leiiivv   ariJ-  Lii£  Heinle  i  -i^.,il   v'ibv  lo   ti/'-jx  If;&voa   anew  eiSi-.w 
nsad  is  van  o£fi  faiial  anj   "ID  aoi;.i     .  aioJjr-^iiii   ^.uw*   lo  absan  uaj^    .  j-     ;j-;Lryti. 
ai.iJ'   lu  aienwc   9..^  bn«  isj^w  c?  bsUi^ns   s&w  ti  .iaiiOi!5J>:  «oi.^  ^i's-.i  i  .•or.i.- 
ei\Jo  oJ  oi"   oeLsisfis  STSW  \aiw      IB^F-H  onj  sniTi6l3.ruinj   Ic   scijc<,n^    ^     •.  ,  . 
booalt;  anew  Bi'Oi.-iJ   il*:.ta    ic   sianwo  saJ  J>tl-    08  oa^girrii  jjHie«    e>.w  r.oi.-' 
ni  Ta-*w  lo  saol  Si.a'1     .le^iy  tutf   10  noi.J'udxnj  &xo   9»ur   nx  e^jagvb^-ix.b  y 
eal   Ic   jnucoij-;  no  J'-'Oi^  \nav  atw  j-cJLiJsJcb  edJ1   Ic   on  a  •i.-.'vcl   a.ij    ,J 
-oxnlai^   ariJ    lo  one  Tsqci;  ynj  JB   r-.i-jnvf-cael   out   bnf-    .siiojxj  ieni  i 
aex^i  oj1  Jitfox'J'ixb  vJt'V  -*^   aanin'  ;j*h  £981   lo  oxa*)*!  eaT     .  siauj-  T«r*)w  ^..-    q6>.  . 
«>.;T     .  /joival   a^.-xfio    9:1-'   ao  aaiuJart  enijoes   oJ^   &i/iri  e*-v. 
ae  Ji;d  joxgi.T3io  ei»J   cJ   cloa   BJ?«  da^J  9:iJ   b/u    ft^/,>.    \v-.-    jj      •••. 
bite  3nl>3  x/j    eni'  a:cr:i   ^c-.x.  .ooajiol  a>;w  &n;oanx   on   ,^1  no  tiaBO   esxLsei  ." 
else  wij  coil  aJqissoi   ar.j-  nsoqt,   spiooni  ilaso  stfi  icl  J'nijbnec-'b  sw?*p  j 


axs*  ^xu3  M   69&1  nx  lii'nti  ncid"x?oqqo  ^aiwoiij  fi  bn*  ^niiaXoxd   if^^i^.j.o   z 
*a'l£"0  >^-1*  -r-»-  ^w*  Joi'JJ'aio  •£!*  «i  aianwooael  i)8ilax^^D8Xi>  \c  J 
oesi  svijti  oJ  oiesa   sic.  r     .be 


ideas  of  economy  for  it  is  said  that  they  instructed  trieir  attorney  not  to 
defend  the  suit,  as  they  thought  that  the  bondholders  would  be  forced  to  defend 
the  district  in  order  to  protect  themselves  and  that  the  district  would  thus  be 
saved  the  cost  of  litigation.  The  outcome,  however,  was  not  favorable  to  the 
district  for  the  court  held  that  as  the  bondholders  had  not  been  parties  to  the 
suit,  they  had  no  standing  in  court,  and  decision  was  against  the  district.  The 
decree  rendered  by  Judge  Noyes  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Riverside  County,  July 
11,  1899,  (Case  No.  1974,  People  v.  San  Jacinto  and  Pleasant  Valley  Irrigation 
District) ,  declared  that  the  district  had  never  had  a  legal  existence  and  that 
.-ill  of  its  acts  were  void.  Considering  the  extent  of  tue  activities  of  tne 
district  t;iis  seems  a  very  strange  decision  and  it  is  explained  by  some  on  the 
supposition  that  Judge  Noyes  was  very  sensitive  to  the  wishes  of  the  public  or 
a  portion  thereof  and  that  his  political  aspirations  had  a  considerable  influence 
upon  his  official  opinions  (he  has  since  been  on  trial  and  in  danger  of  being 
disbarred.).  The  action  of  the  board  of  directors  is  rather  unaccountable,  also, 
for  no  appeal  was  taken  from  the  decision.  Everything  stopped;  The  directors 
ceased  to  act  and  the  water  rights  of  the  district  were  seized  by  outsiders. 
The  Hemet  Company  at  once  tapped  the  main  carrying  water  from  the  North  fork  of 
San  Jacinto  River  and  ran  it  into  tneir  system  and  the  San  Jacinto  Water  Company 
secured  the  Griffin  Jienega  and  the  plant  of  the  district.  All  the  property  and 
water  rights  of  tne  district  were  lost  without  any  return  being  received. 

The  destruction  of  the  district  and  the  loss  of  the  water  rights  put 
the  landowners  back  in  the  same  position  as  before  tne  move  for  a  district  was 
:tiade  •  There  was  and  is,  however,  a  ^reat  deal  of  uncertainty  as  to  the  extent 
of  the  cloud  upon  the  title  caused  by  the  unpaid  obligations  of  the  district. 
It  might  be  supposed  that  the  decision  declaring  the  district  illegally  organized 
would  have  prevented  anyone  from  getting  judgment  on  the  bonds,  but  such  has  cot 
been  the  case.  In  a  later  suit  brought  by  Pliny  Evans  of  Riverside,  in  the 


e) 


oim^flx  \&tit  i.erit  Mee  ax  J-i  id  Yrc°n039  ^o  aeeox 
baa  lab  o^  ijao-io't  eo  olwow  aTSblodcnccf  arkr  Jaitt  Jriawoiil  ^QffJ-  sis  ,Jxua  ertf  bnslsfa 
ad  ajuii-  lilvO'.?  J  oi-tjsxi;  eitt  JjKitt'  biu  aevlesmfcictf  J-o&Joiq  oJ  tsbio  xl  Joxi.Jaxb  eiii 

oJ   eldfi'iov*^  J"o;t  3**   ,t&vewoii  ,amcoj-i;o   snT     .ffoxi'f.^,xjil  lo  d'aoo   sfU 
oJ  as/x^i^q  ftsso'  Jon  b^ri  8T0oIoriDnorf  erij-  s*  tofto   bls.\  J-TUO:   ariJ'  Tol  i' 
.  loi'usic  aiii^  tarsj.*^   asv/  rtoxaxoab  bn£   ,J•^Lrco  nx  ynifartjEJ-s  on   U£fi  Yef^ 

4\JUi)oU   etixaTovx.i   lo  i-nwoC  noi7eqi?(3  en^1  lo  ss^orf  e'^bvL  x3  beTsbnei   eenoeb 


.v 


,11 


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itt   od    eviJi^nea 


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oo  /-  a>  ri  anoicJ/nxq^j-  LpoxJiloq  ax*!  i«ri^   fa/te  losieti^  noxJioq  £ 
.fc  nx  bnc  Iriij-  no  «sec"  esnia   asri  9h)  anciniqo   Ij&xoxllo   axa  noqi; 


sx 


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idi«W  oJ'KJo^.L  roaS 

sriw*   XLs 
.bavxeoen 


nrte 


Ic  noi^os  eri?     .  (. 

vjl     .noisiosu   dad-  nronl  n*iii:S   8/>w  lBaqq£   on 
eul  lo  s^rigxT  i6J«w  ori-    ana  ^0£   oJ" 
nxj5jr  eiid"  usqq^j1  eono  tn  \_naqtaoD  d'emeii 
oae  me^s^e  ilen^   odriJ-  j-x  n«T  bae  TsviH  oJolo^L  oa2 
arU   lo  Jnslq   Jii*  bna  jsssu^i'J  nx'ilxiO  erfJ-  beii/oes 
i^aol  en&w  Jnxii'sxi   sitJ"  lo 


ssol  eriJ  b«*  i-oiiJ-axi)  en*   lo  aQifsvuKQU  eriT 
8£W  ^^)x^Jexfa  js  io't  svo.n  eii*   aiclecf  aft  acxJxacr  ansee  eri*  nx   ^oad  8T«ttwob 
of  a*  \JnxjHj-i80ittf  lo  J*9b  feai^  £   ,nsvewo:i  ,ex  bae  ajsw  eiariT 
b  an*   Su   anei^c^Ido  bieqiwr  e.il   \fd  baauao  dlJ-x^   aaJ-  noqi/  bi/ola 
aril   ^nxtf-Ioab  aoJexoob  eiW  J-«itf  ba*oq«iua  «cf  > 
no  J~rv  .J-lf)3  moil  sno^i* 

.  . 


lo 


(4) 


Superior  Court  of  Riverside  County,  on  the  interest  on  certain  bonds,  a 
default  judgment  was  given  against  the  district,  as  William  LicEwen,  who  was 

made  a  party  as  a  director  of  the  district,  was  not  allowed  to  appear  in 

;.-'*i  6?  a*  "!>'  "~        '  re^r  *•*.*,  r.r.  o_s  b/  ~~*        >/c 

his  personal  capacity  as  a  landowner.  In  a  suit  brought  in  1905  in  the  United 
States  court  at  Los  Angeles,  by  John  H.  Marra,  a  bondholder,  judgment  was  taken 
by  default  against  the  district.  An  application  was  made  for  a  receiver  for 
the  property  of  the  district,  the  object  being  to  take  possession  of  the  water 
rights  which  had  been  appropriated  by  other  parties  and  hold  them  until  a 
decision  on  the  validity  of  the  bonds  was  secured,  in  which  case  if  the  bonds 

were  found  valid  the  receiver  would  have  the  property  for  which  the  bonds  were 
ij»  • 

given  with  which  to  pay  them,  and  if  the  bonds  were  found  invalid,  it  would 
follow  that  there  had  never  been  any  valid  sale  of  these  water  plants  to  the 

district  and  the  receiver  would  take  nothing.  It  was  felt  that  the  bondholders 

•.  u;-'.  .-•  -5,  aaa  t. 

and  landholders  were  equally  interested  in  securing  this  action  as  it  would 

be  for  the  benefit  of  both  parties.  Judge  V.elborn  of  the  District  Court 

.  . -J  f.i:i*  their  fc-ir.  .  *  _•  •;  b'-it...  *b: •„  *jt^j  *„.' 

turned  the  matter  over  to  Judge  Ross  of  the  Circuit  Court  and  the  latter 
finally  granted  the  petition  for  the  appointment  of  a  receiver  but  deferred 
the  order  appointing  a  receiver  to  a  later  date .  he  later  reversed  his  decisioa 
and  denied  the  petition.  Neither  of  the  judgments  mentioned  have  been 
satisfied  nor  has  further  action  been  taken  in  regard  to  them.   Lost  of  the 
tonds  of  the  district  have  matured  and  outlawed,  if  the  bond  of  a  quasi- 
municipal  corporation  can  outlaw.  The  effect  of  this  uncertainty  as  to  land 
titles  was  to  keep  investors?  from  coming  into  the  district,  l.'.any  of  the 
people  moved  away  and  the  community  was  in  a  state  of  deep  depression  for  six 
or  eight  years . 

Jour  or  five  years  after  the  decree  dissolving  the  district  was 
issued  people  began  to  utilize  the  underground  water  supply  and  since  that  time 
many  wells  have  been  sunk  and  a  considerable  area  of  land  is  being  thus  irrigated, 


lo  Jii/oO  iox-i«qif3 
rwvx^  a£vr  ^nem 
le  lOJoe-iib  £  ae 

£  ms   x-'-'-8*^-'-0  lenoaieq  aid 

acj 
erit 


£   ,aanod  nlKi-reo  no  jseieJfii  s:!*  nc   , 
saw  ori'ff  ^nawZoKs  mfilliV'  a*   ,  Jox*JJexfl 
nx  i*;sqqjB  o^  bewcllfc  Jon 
Qfii  ni  20f?I  nx  JdyjciJ    *xi:n  E  nl     . 

,iablorioftc£f  «   ,ATi*M  .H  nriot 

IT 

lo  iioxaaaeeoc 

a  liittL  it.&fii  blori  dm?   aalJ-jaq  •ifttiJc  Y3   fefe«£jtiqofxqq£  need  b£d  rioidw 
aonoc  sa^  11  ea*o  rioiiir  ni   .fceiirosa  B/»W  Bfcnocf  srit  lo  v^xbilBT  erij-  nc 

i  blt-ow 
bluow  cfi    .  bxl^vni  a«tro^  stew  asnccf  atit  li  fcntH 

Qi-nj?Ic  neJ/susr  esarid1   io  alfia  b/l£V  yap  ne»J  teVea  bsd  siari* 

eaJ-  ^«fi^  i'lsl  a«w  ^1     .  saictfon  ejigj-  foloow  levi&o&n  eti*  fan* 
i  s^   noi^ae  ^ifii-  aniiuoaa  rti  ba^esnwni  \II&irp«  91  «w  eiebiortbn^  I  6rtB 
C  J^!i^*piCI  siitf  lo  moo'IeV/  egfavl     .  8oii"i^q  riiod  lo  Jilenea  »fW   not  6d 
ear   arus  J-iuoO  J-iuoiiD  eij^  lo  esoH  egbul  oJ-  TOVO  -ie^lP«  erlJ   faemttf 
b  J'l/d  Tevlessi  B  lo  iti&aiiaioqqe  edt  TO!  noiJ-ileq  «A^  be^ftfiT 

iobio 

en*  bsxnsb  b 

nx  tte&ij  aeed  noiJo*  ieri*iirl  a?ri  non  bexlsilJBa 
Ix   ,bdw£l^uo  bne  beix/tam  evBri  d-oxijoio  eaj  'to   ebnod 
nJ  lo  jroslls  erfT     .wsl^t'o  na&  rroltB'ioq^oa  lB( 
oJTix  gfrimoo  acil   aio^aevni  qeoji  oJ"  ef«r 


n«vig 
w»IIol 


need  »wifi 
8ii.f   lo  teoW 

a   1&  bncd 


^  lo  \ne"^     . 


TO! 


qeeb  ^.o  elJJls  «  «i  eisw  \tinuJtmoo 


bn& 


eleroeq 
10 


s  esilxju  o?  fli'^ed  alqoaq 
so   sv«ii  all 


Alfalfa  is  the  principal  crop.  It  is  now  thought  that  the  only  possible 
St.:  -  -  =5t  '  -  ''=r^-i  i»«OW  u'rv  i 

lien  on  the  lands  on  account  of  the  bond  issue  will  be  for  the  $64,750  worth 
of  bonds  sold  for  cash  and  some  of  these  have  been  bought  up  by  the  landowners 

to  protect  their  lands.  There  is  thought  to  be  no  likelihood  of  the  land 
.isirioi  9   '---  4s-sir*  tt  *t>»-±;  -  ji-r 

being  seized  because  of  the  lien. 

-11  I  %.  f'JT  .  '.   .'..*: 

The  failure  of  the  district  seems  to  have  been  due  to  the  lack  of 


water  during  the  dry  period  1395-1899  and  to  the  lack  of  support  and  even 
active  opposition  which  the  landowners  gave  the  district  which  they  had 

organized.  There  were,  throughout,  influences  at  work  which  were  hostile  to 

• 

the  district.  George  H.  Maxwell  was  sent  into  the  districi  during  the  formative 

period  to  prevent  the  organization  of  the  district  and  he  got  the  disaffected 
1.  .  r  ~,  **!.•  *  r~  int<s  j""s  r&iJJTQt&3  T*QWQ|f  >w»  -  -A*-no 

people  together.  General  Louton  of  Los  Angeles,  was  also  against  the  district 
throughout,  and  the  large  landowners  in  general  were  dissatisfied  with  the 
district  because  they  were  obliged  to  pay  taxes  fixed  upon  the  basis  of  the 
returns  possible  from  irrigated  land  while  their  land  was  being  used  only  for 
grain  raising. 


elcfiaaoq  \Iao  »ttt  f&tti  jd-^orii  vou.  si  j-i     .COTS  Itqx:mx<:q  eiij 

dev,*>6f  eaJ  >iol  acf  Iliw  sussx  bnocf  adt   So  Jin/coo*   ho   abmsX  artf  no  nsil 
\;tf  qu  i-ji^ocf  n««d  &V.T  ri  aesrfj1  lo  a0oa  iwi*  risj23  to*  51os  9i>aod  *o 
IP  boo»iil3>.xl  OR  sd  cj   jix^uoil^  ax  eisxiT     .  sjotl  litxii  d'osjoiq  oJ' 

.  nexl  adj-   lo   c-'av^oai  oasiea 

'-  ,r'    '  l    ''--•   •   ' 

lo  jioel  erij  of  ^w  need  bweri  oi^   ame«a  JoiiJexfa  anj-  'to  8'itrlisl  ajfT 
neve  DJOJB  J-soffqjja   le  ao£l  9;^   oJ   boe   ee8I-ce6I  ioiiaq   ifio  aiij-  gniiub ' 

ij^ri  V'arU-  rioiri'tf  ^oxiJ-sii   aad-  sv*^  aieffwodftt?!  »d*  tiolriw  ncii-xeoqqo 
of  all^eoti  t>Tew  iioiiiw  inow  Jjs   BflCiievIlnx   ,  luorigwoifi;    ,  oie«   QteriT 

?  <-''••        ;*i'     , 

i)  Joii^axc  ad-   od'ni  jnsa  BJS&-  IIe*xjB;4  .ri  sa'100^     .^oiiiexb  eiit 

..  •.  H&sil  -i^'  ?;.  Sfip  &&$$     '••••"     ••'    '•'      -,    •*;*'  ••tfv,;-> 

^  «ti  DOB  join^5;io  a^tj  lo  noxJjBX xxu-gio  da^  i-nsvsiq  oJ  boxTaq 

csle  g*«  .geley^A  aoj  lo  rto^ucH  XeisneD     .leale^oJ'  ©Iqoeq 
»rii-  iitfiw  bsilsxj'Bsaiii  entew  JjsTens^  ni  aianwobrtel  egifil  erid'  OOB   / 
«rit  lo  ala^cf  •  eiid-  non>;  buxil   8S>xf,j    i^ec  od"  be;-xlcfo  eiew  \eiif   esu^ 
no't   xlao  beau  gnx&cf  e^v  bn^I  ixe^   elidw  bctBi  beJ-r^lnx  moil   sUxaeoq 


SAN  MARCOS  IRRIGATION  IISTRICT. 
San  Diego  County  -  Organized  December  14,  1891  -  Area  10,000  acres. 

The  motive  leading  to  the  organization  of  the  San  Marcos  Irrigation 
District  was  the  desire  to  secure  water  and  change  from  grain  raising  to  the 
raising  of  alfalfa  and  citrus  fruits.  Everyone  was  in  favor  of  the  move  and 
no  opposition  was  encountered.  Landhold  ings  within  the  district  were  of  small 
average  size,  not  over  15  acres,  and  the  value  of  the  land  was  about  £50  per 
acre,  without  irrigation. 

The  district  was  declared  organized  December  14,  1891,  and  included 
10,000  acres  of  the  Rancho  Vallecitos  de  San  Marcos,  situated  on  the  branch 
line  of  the  Santa  re  railroad  midway  between  Oceanside  and  Escondido.  The 
entire  acreage  was  agricultural  land  susceptible  of  irrigation.  There  was 
no  town  property  included. 

The  plan  wa.s  to  secure  water  from  the  San  Luis  Hey  River  and  a  bond 
issue  of  $350,000  was  decided  upon  by  the  board  (January  5,  1892)  and  voted 
February  6,  1892.  The  bonds  were  confirmed  by  order  of  court  of  April  8,  1892. 
Before  proceeding  fartner  it  was  thought  best  to  make  some  investigations  into 
the  conditions  and  metnods  of  other  districts  and  Ur.  £.  L.  Richards,  president 
of  tne  boaro  of  directors,  was  sent  around  to  look  into  such  matters.  As  a 
result  of  his  investigations,  it  was  decided  that  it  would  not  be  wise  to 
proceed  with  the  plans  of  the  district  and  it  was  decided  to  aisorganize . 
Accordingly  the  vote  for  disorganization  was  taken  Llay  13,  1893,  the  petition 
filed  July  24,  1893,  and  the  final  decree  of  dissolution  issued  by  the  Superior 
Court  of  San  Diego  County  on  October  4,  1893. 

•it  t*. 


•XL      .  ..£ 

.  eei9£  OOC.OI  iiGiA  -  1961   ,  <'•!  -i  :  tail  -  x.taijo0  o§t<i'i  rueS 


no.  ijBi'Jl  n*3  eriJ  'io  nox$*sior.g*io   ;>uJ   uJ  tjfiibettl  evijow  ariT 

...  ---I...  moi'i  *dn*iio  on*  -lujj  w  ai^oes  eJ  e-iistrb  yaJ   9£V 
i.   tvo.    euJ'  'io  -i.v,.'l  ni  UJBW  arioYtevji     .  r^ji^'i'i   •.UVAC-  bat  JBlIi>lJLB  'to 

aew  itol^isoqqo  on 

'i»q  Jfiv  li'tiujs   OJBW  Uiirl   aaj    'io    u*.Ii.  v    vi-.J-   x>n£    ,  80TOJB  €1  lovo   J-Oii    ,  asia    sgei&vp 

jronJ'lw  ,910 


no  bttai.'d'la   ,3001^  ae^  »£>  so^jLooJ  ItV  ouoaeH  auJ'   Io  BUIOJB  000,01 
a.iV     .  ofaiJunooaa  ba«  atiBtu?9wO  ned»'^ecf  yiwbim  bjsoillci  e'i  ajrtc  ;  »ot  'to  anil 
sib.i'.1     .  noiJi.-^i'iii   Io   oiciJ-eocr.un  ba»l   le-utfluoiT  .*•   new  «^'eio£  fiilln* 

.  b«it)t'Ionl   \^Tt.qoio   rrwo^  on 
A  bus  isviH  \0H  aluJ  rtsc!  out  mctl  i^jjav  *iv«oa  OJ  a*v  nalq  edT 

brus   ;':.'!?i  I    ,d   ^u-i.-vl')    j'u  oj   oiit  ^-J  ftoqu  bebiosb  aev  000,OdC|  Io 
,U  linqA   Io  iiuos  Io  nei.To  \J  bwrxilitoo  e-iaw  afanotf  a*1T     .SCSI  ,6 

ni   amo«  eiii-n:  ot  ^aed  Jd^jori^   s£w  j  i  •xeiiJ'ijil  .^tibdeootq  eiol*8 
.  J  .1  .1;:  bm;   B«  -i'u  siu  rtexiJc   Io   sboritaci  bae   snciJiunco   »iU 
j.ioii@  o^ai  iool  i--   bxi^ote  iads  EH*    .  -riojoyiio  Io  bifiod  sat   Io 
iw  ed  jc-ii  ciuow  ji   J/MW    b«bic0i>  «BW  li   %  uaoi^jBj,i^a»vax  eia  Io  ili/aei 
.  esioe^ioaib  ol  oobJoes  &BW  Jx  bats  joi'u--ii.    o-.J   Io  aru-lq  •tit  dixw  ba*ooiq 

. 

.ac>.   diij*  \d  oeuaai  noi^tloselc  Io   a  01  out  IsnJl   aiiJ1  bn£   ,£961   ,^cl  \;IuL  belli 

,>  necfoJyO  no  ^auoO  ogoia  ««2  Io 


SAUTA  GERTRUDES  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Los  Angeles  County  -  Organized  September  1890  -  Area  2,000  acres. 

The  landowners  of  the  Santa  Gertrudes  Irrigation  District  bad  a 
water  right  to  certain  water  from  the  San  Gabriel  River  which  they  received 
through  the  Santa  Litch  and  through  a  wooden  flume .  As  the  wooden  flume  was 
in  need  of  replacement  and  some  kind  of  organization  was  necessary  to  raise 
funds  and  care  for  the  work  of  replacement,  it  was  thought  desirable  to 
organize  the  district  under  the  Bright  Act.  The  district  was organized  in 
September  1890  to  cover  2,COC  acres  of  first  rate  agricultural  land  near 
Santa  Fe  Springs,  a  few  miles  southwest  of  the  town  of  Whittier.  The  land  waa 
held  in  tracts  of  about  20  acres  each  except  for  200  acres  held  by  the 
Santa  Fe  R.  R.,  200  by  J.  V.  Baker,  and  a  few  other  tracts  of  200  or  300  acres 
each.  Land  was  worth  about  $.35  per  acre  and  grain  was  practically  the  only 
crop  teing  raised.  A  very  small  acreage  was  irrigated,  probably  not  over 
ICC  acres. 

There  wae  no  opposition  to  the  district  and  bonds  were  voted  in 
the  amount  of  $55,000  and  were  approved  by  the  Superior  Court  of  Los  Angeles 
County  on  L'ay  2,  1893.  So  far  as  can  be  learned  none  of  these  bonds  were  ever 

oeed  of.  The  directors  found  that  the  bonde  were  unsaleable  and  no  work 
•as  cone.  I'atters  dragged  on  without  any  progress  teinc  made  and  the  people 
of  the  district  became  dissatisfied  and  felt  that  if  nothing  wae  to  be 
accomplished  it  would  be  better  to  disorganize.  This  was  done,  the  final 
decree  of  dissolution  being  entered  September  16,  1899  by  D.  K»  Trask,  Superior 
Judge ,  Los  Angeles  County . 

The  district  did  not  have  much  Affect  upon  the  prosperity  of  the 
coenunity.  The  amount  of  the  debt  incurred  was  not  large  and  it  wae  paid  off 
by  subscription  at  the  rate  of  5C  cents  on  the  oollar  before  t&e  dissolution. 


•i- 
000,*  *»*4  -  OC8I  ied«: 


-usivl  ttci.'i^sil  eaoL'TJ-nsC  tin*?,  6iif  lo  BismrciHiel 
i-tvisas-i  Tj»;fc   doi.ar  isvlH  .Ui-io.eC  ns2  *,-:   -.oil  -isCrw  nie-ttss  o.*  ^rigit  i; 

.;=iccw  ftfj-  5r      .3er.fl  H»boj»  /?  i.^juci.i 
Mljsl  cJ"  \t  -i?ac&-:   IB*  ttoxfiisiiia&ii}  \o  aalai  acoe 

tJ  *Io«'Ue»o  Jd^iio.:*  at*  ?i   .^aersof  Iqe-r  Ic  iic*  -i.^  id  eito  fcae  et- 
ui -siiru^ioei  *  ^sliiaib  u^I     .Js*  ^.^11;.'  ec^    i«£.ti;  .'sn^eis  siit  ex^. 

-:il   :o     aeioe  ;X;:,il  navco  e*  0<?6I  T&fewq«2 
•Mr  bn«I  saT     .nei^llrftf  ^o  nwo.*   e.ij  Ic  ^sdwdiuos  's=Ll3  »sl  *  .e^nincS  ei     - 

titr  fc  olsa  83ls*  (X)S  ic:  -qesx*  00*9  aensje   JS  J-LO^*   Ic  ecafii*  nl   bl«d 
3S13JB  00£  10  JJS   :c   87?£%i  TteoTc  *e:  *  toe   ,nexe€  .3  .-  x=   OOS   ,.K  .ft  e'i  JBJ 

a.-w  s^eeio*    IIxcis  ^TSV  /      .  osai«i   ,,BJi&d 


fli  j-.'cv   tr.es  nbcc2  ooe  f^x^^slb   &  J  o^  ncUi-.-D^cc   on  %£•«    a^eaT 
.     »oj  Ic  ^i«c"  icl'sscL''1.   ailf  \c  e^roiqqa    ^TS*  ^ru?   33C,2c1   io 

.^otf  0aAA?  lo  a/ion  beoae«i  ad  ABS  «£  iel  o?     .£561   ,S  ^B!^  no  vjn. 
^_    -I^&IisBi;  6^»sr  3&n3i   ad*  /;  a^  bfu?e>l  eTo.'ra-:!^   iu?     .  lo   bt8f 
:.  :..  =  :   s^ei^otc   X.TS   'tor.Ji*  ao  1,533511,   aiwJjr  n      .er:;. 

x  a**  ssldfrttt  lx  /«iil  ^l&l  bnc  c4xlei^s?i:   ar^se^    *rli.  lii   o. 
,eaoc  ae»  eirfT     .  *«iftril08±o  ol  i?3S6l  60   blue*  *i  b&<.  . 
.      .2   vt   fC£-   ,61  -reaire^qsP   6«*ss/a8  ^aisc  «oi^Llc53x=   ':o   se~. 

.^nteC  «sIa%nA  sol  ,e 
qeonc  sal  *oq»;  *s^il»  aotcs  ev*a  loa  fcio  ^siij'ilh  e.fT 

Siiel  ^crs  a^w  bcirvoai  ?iso  s^j-   lo  ;ivi;ot*^  «4T     .V- 

Oc   lo   t 


(2) 


Owing  to  the  inactivity  of  the  district  the  water  rights  in  the  San  Gabriel 
River  which  had  belonged  to  the  landowners,  were  allowed  to  lapse,  but  the 
development  of  pumping  plants  has  since  made  water  available  to  practically 
all  the  land  within  the  district  so  that  the  section  is  now  very  prosperous. 
Land  is  now  worth  from  $200  per  acre,  up.  Unimproved  land  within  the  district 
has  recently  sold  for  $450  per  acre  and  improved  land  is  worth  considerably 
more.  Over  500  acres  are  now  being  irrigated  within  the  district. 

The  failure  of  the  district  seems  to  have  been  due  to  the  inability 
of  the  directors  to  sell  the  bonds  and  to  the  lack  of  energy  evidenced  in 

failing  to  take  proper  steps  to  safeguard  the  water  rights  owned  by  the 

?.  <-.  :  :..it-j  w*rtf  -i>.tl  _I*i  i,:  tj.«  ri^nt  of  wa.%  across  1  *l.txir.  '••  ,  -•_«••»  , 

district.  The  Walnut  Irrigation  District,  a  few  oiles  north  of  the  Santa 
Gertrudes  district,  has  been  an  unqualified  success  and  the  conditions  in  the 

f  ••     ».i,   «X   \ 

two  districts  were  at  the  outset  almost  identical. 


eisxrict  »a»  all  l«injf  irri 
/.  to  t5-.f.  ;*•;•  •.•.-«.  1., 


(s) 


OB  3  saw   nx  ajri^iT  •*«***  an*  ^aii^sib  8jS*  \o  xJ-jvl  Hajari*  adJ  o* 
srtj  juu   ,»aqBl  oj    u&;?oIlB  aiww  ,  anenwofanfll  ertf  oJ-  bti^icled  c£ii  rioiaw 


won  ax  ncijawa   ocU"  tKtii  ca  JoinjaiC  scU1  aiii^i*  i/ual  «iU   Us 
to  adi1  ruu*x*  oftBl  ijevoir'nif'U     •<?«  4813JB  leq  OOS5  mcn'i  rid-^ow  won  sx  i)«BJ 
liiio*  ai  oruel  Ofavonqwx  i>fifc-   eiy*  iaq  02*2  10  1  cloa  xli-neosi  asri 

005 

&ttJ  o^  ati;  need  sv/a  o^  sinoes  i'oiid'eiw  sj^  'to  eiwlle'i 
«x  !.7e  xgafcau   1o  ^«el  di^  o^  cutfc  aijnod  edj"   Has  o/  eicJoaiib  sol 

t»rii   X^  oQtfao   SKfd^xT  Te4~£w  arid-  biJ8Jjgel»8  OJ  aqsia 
*«-i-wi3  e^  lo  ri^tw  as  lie  »el  a  ,*oii^ai4  acid-jBaxnl  JunlsW  eiiT    . 
jnoxjiUKoy  or^  fai'ii  aaassons  Jo9x'til«ifpflu  as  neec   <2£ii  ,^»j 

i-ao«il*  Jsa^tto 


STRONG  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Los  Angeles  County  -  Organized  April  1,  1393  -  Area  900  acres. 

The  settlers  in  the  section  covered  by  the  Strong  Irrigation  District 
aad  been  for  many  years  diverting  water  from  the  San  Gabriel  River  and  carrying 
It  across  the  ranch  of  £.  J.  Baldwin  ("Lucky"  Baldwin)  in  an  open  ditch.  A 
few  years  before  the  organization  of  the  district  Baldwin  attempted  to  stop  them 
from  carrying  the  water  across  his  land  and  succeeded  in  collecting  a  yearly 
:harge  for  the  privilege.  The  settlers  were  much  provoked  by  this  for  some  of 
them  had  been  there  much  longer  than  Baldwin  and  felt  that  they  had  a  good  water 
right  and  that  they  were  entitled  to  the  right  of  way  across  Baldwin's  land. 
rhey  thought  that  by  the  organization  of  a  district  under  the  Wright  law  they 
tould  be  placed  in  a  stronger  position  for  a  legal  contest  with  Baldwin  and 
for  that  purpose  the  Strong  Irrigation  District  was  organized  on  April  1,  1893. 

The  land  included  within  the  district  was  all  being  irrigated  at  the 
time  of  organization  and  was  worth  from  £200  to  £5CO  per  acre.  The  holdings 
iveraged  from  20  to  30  acres,  the  smallest  being  4  acres  and  the  largest  130 
icres.  V.'alnuts ,  alfalfa,  corn  and  a  few  oranges  were  being  raised. 

The  district  and  the  individual  landowners  sued  Baldwin  claiming  a 
right  to  700  miners'  inches  of  water  from  the  San  Gabriel  River  and  demanding 
i  right  of  way  across  the  land  of  Baldwin.  After  an  appeal  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  the  decision  vent  against  Baldwin  and  the  district  secured  clear  title 
bo  the  desired  water  supply. 

Having  thus  secured  the  re cult  desired  when  the  district  was  formed 
the  landowners  were  not  particularly  desirous  of  Keeping  the  district  form  of 
jrganization.  A  disagreement  arose  over  the  provision  of  the  Y.'right  law  which 


.  ._ 

.  SI/IO.K  OOt  i;vv.    -  dPtl   ,1   XiTcA   or"ii!/:t,T..)  ••  \lntJoO  80IejjflA  soj 


^tiii  dnoi;f'2   artf  ^d  bwiciVco  nolJobS   &iii  nl 
ttVlH  I&jt'ioteO  «eS  e;iJ   noTt  i«^-.w  jniJievlb  e-u  «*x  xnflra  lot 
rtuqo  ft^-:  ni    (rtj.*fcl«3  "Y^ot'J'O  nibbled  .1  .3  to  rioruBi  otii  BBOIO* 
<.;0j  •..    o<t  Jj>    fu  ,'  . 

\ItB»\i  £  ijoijoslloo  4ii  i&boaoouB  Jbrue  brtel  alii  BBOTOX  T&^BW  »ri^  gn^v1*11'0  moil 
to  cinoa  not  ainJ   xc'  b&icvo^c;  rtowr  eiew  ai'jid'lao  oriT     .  eysliviir  eriJ  TO! 
/'W  boon  s  b*rf  Y0^   *JBii^  i'lsl  fan*  ni\vblBd  rtpii^  le^nol  tioufl-.  aieuj  need  b^-d 
.  n.u:l  a'acwbl*':  saoio*   Y»'*  ^o  -'ijii  8-^   o^  b»I*i^iie   a-iew  xafU'  i"**!*  bf«i 
»iiJ"  w*  I  Jd.jj.iT.1  sit'J1  nefany  ^cii^aib  R  to  noi^i'sloB^io  9i-;j  '{d  isaii  J'djjuoii 
bn*  rtiwblsti  rfliw  *3e^noo  LB^*!  jo  'tol  noiJ-iaoq  Ta^not^a  £  ni   oeofilq  ed 
no 

lie  Q/W  j-axiJ-aia  e4^  rtiaJxv.'  bobt'Isni  biusl  eriT 
teq  00d.i*t  oJ  00u$  taol'i  fid"xo*  SJB*  mi*  noi^sJtoi;sio   lo 
iW  biifi   utno«  >  jn.t«cf  ^e&IItus   6»W   ,aei3£  OE  o^  OS  moal   bo^ 
j.aj   disw  evjiiuino  wet  £   bat  nico   , 
owre 
tevih  IfajideO  n«<i  ea*  moit  isJjaw  to  aortooj:   'eianiai  OCV  oJ1  Jri 

oj    Lsaqqj;  ne  'isj'l/      .niwblsB  to  boal   suj   aeoia^  •{**   io 
•u-.elo  od'ii/oaa  J'oJ.nJeib  «iiJ  bi%a  olwbleH  j-eni*^  Jnew  ncieioob  eii 

.  \iqquB  la^jsw  be^iaeb  enj- 

btaciot  8i-»  •  t>  eiif  iieriw  Dfiiieao  Jliiasn  su?  beiifoes   surii  ;jf«lv»fi 

to  wxot  J-siij-alo  »»u  ^niqaaji   lo  swcii^ei)  t^"I'^L'pJ-*'1B(5  J"0*1  s*4**  anenwobnfil 

vw:I  it.     •        a."  lo  noieivonq  *aj  T»VO   enot*  Jn&^w&i/.js'sifa  A     .  noises  im;  310 


- 


that  umttmmmtm  far  the  ••*  of  water  wail 
dietrlct.    In  -ihie  district  tiioas  wheo»  lands  were  wear  that  a***)  «ff  tfce  iifca> 
'elt  ths*  tiseT  esjeoild  net  ce  eoliged  its  say  as  aascs 
ditch  *•  ifliMi  vJntn  loads  wr»  adtoxtod  fartear  O 

r*  af  -tia*  ditch.    Sw  dissxticf ariiM  aa  -tti0  «c«r«  tee«a*  •• 
it  «nw  thOMk*  hMt  to  allow  ti-o  diotriet  to  laawo  aad  to  oper&to  tte  ditca 


••dor  OOMO  floB  wsorobf  -MM  ehargo  si^rt  bo  adjusted  •ccoraiag  to  tfao 

from  tfco  hood  of  1ho  ditch .    M*  haa  teoa  doao .    tfceir  ditch  hao  boom  diviaod 


into  three  eeetions  and  levies  are  new  aade  according  to 
oa  1k*  upper  section  new  f  .25  per  year  far  waintsnaneo ,  those  on  the 
section  |.50  and  those  on  the  lower  section  41.00.  The  ditch  is  now  ran 
a  neighborhood  ditch  without  fwiaml  incorporation,  although  the  district 
legally  in 


Conditions  in  the  district  are  verj  prosperous.    Land  is  now  worth 

-  - 
froB  4500  to  $1000  per  acre  and  valnute,  oranges  and  alfalfa  are  teing  raised. 

The  effect  of  t*e  district  was  to  aid  in  settling  the  water  right  difficulties 
of  the  landowners  and  in  this  way  it  contributed  aaieriallj  to  the  success 
and  prosperity  of  the 


0   Ilt-aa  it, 

i;-   anJ  lo  i>eari  »Ai   run  OR  new  aortal   C--IG.Y*  esort* 
'to  eooBabJfUiiaiear  abTj.;»oj  rioum  a*   \eq   oJ-  be^jtlao   ed 

oriw  bn£   n«ob  "sarLJ-isl  bstfjEu^is  e~.  ar:  cfto^l 
os  sffi^Obcf  STOOB  Birij-  no  rtoiJof  lei^saeib  ariT 
wti   e*jB^eqc   o^   iuia  eaq/'I  03   j-ciijaiL  srf^  wo.. 
&i.U  o^  sniDTo^ofi  bo^sif^bf  ea  ^risiffl  sgierio 
oebivib  «ftt»a  s^ii  .Iscio  liatiT     .snob  asecf  a^rf  aidT 

.  snoiio»s   srij   GJ    y:ibiocojg   sbaic  won  sit   ae 
bbii.    e.t*  no  eeodJ-   ,  eonufieinlBra  TO!  rtjBa-\r 
HUT  «ro«  ai  aoJii)  eiiT    .00.  I|  noi^oea 

.nolfBioqiodnl 


sJtrW"  nl 
cluone 


62.  $ 


no 


si  toitjoib 


STUB 


ettr 


.  Buoneqaoic   ^ev  eoe 

hm;  ssan^io 
eri*  sniiJJea  ni  bi* 
be^ucfxi^noo  it 


erf*   lo  eioir  fcaeu 
^setf  ^ilgtrofiJ   asw  11 

aaioa 
sril   lc  baeri  eaj-  n 

Bnoiliea  eeiot 
noi^oea  tscqu  sift  no 
ban  02.1  neiifoes 
ria^ib  boodiocfiljien  JB 

o  rti  ii 

al^   c-rtt  oi  ano 
bm?   ei3£  ieq  CX50I*  o^  002$  mcil 
*»w  JsiiJeib  eriJ  lo  Goalie  erfT 
aidj  nx  bxus  BTBnwobneJ  eriJ-  lo 
lo 


YINELAND  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Los  Angeles  County  -  Organized  February  8,  1889  -  Area  4,000  acres. 

The  lands  in  the  Vineland  Irrigation  Llstrict  were  held  in  tracts  of 
15C  acres  or  less,  the  average  being  about  4C  acres.  Those  who  owned  the  land 
wished  to  secure  a  permanent  supply  of  water  for  they  had  been  getting  an 
uncertain  supply  from  the  San  Gabriel  River  and  inasmuch  as  the  entire  flow  of 
the  river  was  claimed  by  Azusa,  Covina  and  Duarte,  the  landowners  around  Vineland 
found  that  in  the  summer  wnen  water  was  most  needed,  there  was  but  little  to  be 
had.  Land  was  valued  as  high  as  C1CC  per  acre.  A  small  acreage  was  being  irri- 
gated by  dirt  ditches  during  a  part  of  the  season,  but,  as  before  stated,  in  the 
dry  part  of  the  season  there  was  no  water  available.  Some  water  was  rented 
wnen  possible  from  the  Azusa  system.   Lost  of  the  people  within  the  district 
or  owning  land  there  had  some  other  means  of  support  and  there  was  not  much 
land  under  cultivation.  Some  of  the  owners  lived  in  Los  Angeles.  All  the 
landowners  wnated  to  develop  their  lands  and  many  had  no  doubt  the  intention  to 
sell  out  soon  after  the  rise  in  values  which  the  district  might  be  expected  to 
occasion. 

The  district  was  organized  February  8,  1889.  At  that  time  the  market 
for  irrigation  dietrict  bonds  was  still  fairly  strong  and  the  district  did  not 
have  n:uch  trouble  in  selling  a  considerable  part  of  the  issue  of  $50,000  which 
was  approved  by  the  court  on  July  6,  1889.  Later  an  additional  iseue  of  $12,000 
wae  made.  A  portion  of  the  bonds  amounting  to  £40,000  was  taken  by  a  certain 
l^rnoli  of  San  Irancisco,  and  sold  in  Switzerland  for  92  1/2  cents  on  the  dollar. 
The  district  itself  received  88  cents  on  the  dollar  for  these  bonds.  ^10,000 
rorth  of  bonds  were  traded  for  water  rights,  £5,000  «orth  for  rights  in  Roberts 
Canyon,  which  have  never  been  utilized  and  which  are  not  of  much  value,  and 
(5,000  for  rights  to  w?.ter  in  the  San  Gabriel  River,  which  have  been  rendered 
worthless  by  a  decision  of  court.  The  later  issue  of  £12,000  was  almost  all 


000,* 


•1  .Ji 

-  C88I  ,8  Yaunde*  bosxnjs^TO  -  \invo3  esIeyxA.  acJ 


lo   sfsf.it  fti  blan  si  aw 
bitfcj.   o.u    baowo   Uiiw  agon'  J     . 

OB  yiiJ'Je     aeea  b£ii 
lo  well 


xV  e»i^  iix  ebnusl  sri'T 
,ri/oa£     ,;u3J    tr.y  •....-.    9iU    ,  jetal  10 
10!  T&Jtw  lo     -fc^'8  ^n«iiB.vieq  B 


Odl 
berieiv 


3nenwoi)ii£-I  s 


sue  nevih  leiicfflO  a«3  aitf  moil 

j»nivoD   ,£8USA  \:d  ceffiltslo   eiw  levin  tads 


iu 


.'s  eiclsa   a/s   . 


A     .eio«  tsc  001". 
.nos^-a*   oiij-  lo  itt 


beulev 


*{d 


o 

1.?  slqoaq  saw  lo  ^aoM  .»6JrBYe  BBUSA  sti^  moil  elcf-tasoq  nerlw 
.iO;.  •  j<wi  3£W  &T3.'U  brtu  Jiocc.i  :  i:  efif.em  isrijo  amoe  b£ri  siecy-  coel  ^ninwo  ic 
XL,  .  aoIe^oA  so.l  nx  o«>vj.I  sionwo  »iU  lo  o.-\.  1  .  n&ijj.vijljjo  labru;  btt&l 
yni  eaJ  JJUOD  oa  d/;ri  xr:^i«i  bae  ebiiel  tiefiJ  qcl&vsij  o^  bej-^nw  eionwobnel 
bejoeqxd  sd  Jriai/iT  aoxijalb  etw  doxuw  seyLssv  ni  aeii  5ilJ~  i9.*lje  noog  J-yo  lisa 


bib  ^oi^sxb  s.iJ-  Dfi^  gooila  \Iiiel   Ili^a  a^«r  ^bncd  ^oiij?ib  noit/isiini  -icl 
rioi.1w  000,0fi|  lo   ai.'^ai   arid-    10  J-isq 
»i:.C^  "10   Sjj'iei  iBitoxi-xbbjE!  nxs  rtsj-^J     .6381  ,o  ^Xi/t  no  liyoo  artf   ^i  bavoiqqfl 

JB  '^  neaei'  snw  000,0^^  oj    ;axJTtuofiuj  abnoJ  dri^   to  noiwioq  A 

» 
no  aJneo  S\I  u(?  -xo'i  tonf,Ii9sJri*^  «i  bleu  bos   .eaexanBii  a«3  l 

|P 

.    ..)     ,«Jonod  asaiiJ  to'i  Tellob  6iU  ao  e^aeo  88  beviuoei  *I&aJ-i  j-oiiJ'sib 
H  ni   zfii-jii  iol  ri-tv        .       ,fi^   ,0^3x1  is^w  not   bsoBiJ'   aia*  ax>nod   lo  ri 
.  sjjJj  v  iiox/ni  lo  ton  eifi  dox.ijr  .;•»•.:•.  baxili^u  naad  isvsrt  av^d  riczr 
>.di-nB6d  e.  Itxid^O  ae<i  o;U  nx  leJ-.-^w  o^  elnsxi  iol  000,5 

.       -oo    10  noirjxoab  J8  t^  3aala*rtow 


(2) 


traded  for  work  on  the  tunnel  which  the  district  wae  driving  under  the  San 
Gabriel  River.  The  plan  to  develop 

The  plan  to  develop  water  was  devised  by  F.  C.  Finkle ,  engineer  for 
the  district,  and  was  to  drive  a  tunnel  under  the  San  Gatriel  River.  This  plan 
was  being  carried  out  and  the  tunnel  had  teen  driven  3,000  feet  when  suit  was 
brought  by  parties  owning  land  near  Azusa,  Covina  and  Duarte  claiming  all  the 
water  and  asking  for  an  injunction  restraining  the  further  construction  of  the 
tunnel  and  the  diversion  of  water  by  the  Vineland  district.  Hfhile  this  liti- 
gation was  in  progress,  the  San  Gatriel  Power  Company  wae  arranging  to  take 
water  from  the  river  and  in  order  to  satisfy  the  right  claimed  by  the  Vineland 
district  they  offered  to  put  in  a  well  within  the  district  which  should  yield 
100  miners'  inches  of  water,  50  inches  of  which  tney  rere  to  pump  to  the  upper 
edge  of  the  district  and  50  inches  to  the  middle  of  the  district  from  which  the 
lower  half  could  te  irrigated.  They  agreed  to  dig  the  well  and  install  a 

pumping  plant,  and  furnish  power  to  pump,  the  amount  of  power  furnished  being 

if  *  •          .-•-••  9  /,i«' •••-.*  cr  «ai-kti<   i/oort^      -JM 
proportional  to  the  flow  of  the  river  at  the  same  period.  This  arrangement  wae 

ngreed  to  by  the  district  and  shortly  after  an  injunction  was  issued  against 
them  restraining  them  from  diverting  water  from  the  San  Gabriel  River,  so  that 
the  well  installed  by  the  Power  Company  wae  virtually  a  clear  gain  for  the  dis- 
trict. The  Power  Company  eoon  became  dissatisfied  with  the  agreement  under  which 
they  were  bound  to  furnish  power  perpetually,  proposed  to  the  district  that 
in  exchange  for  a  release  from  this  obligation  and  a  return  of  the  electric 
motors  furnished,  they  rould  install  a  100  E.P.  stearc  engine  and  boiler  and 
give  it  to  the  district.  This  w%s  agreed  to  and  carried  out. 

The  district  constructed  £  milts  of  n.ain  ditch  with  concrete  lining, 
2  miles  of  main  pipe  line  and  4  miles  of  vitrified  ciay  and  cement  pipe  laterals, 
besides  a  steel  pipe  line  £  riles  in  length  to  carry  water  from  the  well  to  the 
upper  bound -ary  of  the  district.  It  was  found  that  the  expense  of  pumping  to 


•I'  -jl 

3810.8  000,  £  seiA   -  C88I  ,6  Y^yirf®*  faesiJieyiO  -  \tttuo3  eelejjOA 


to  stsEtt  ftx  bls»n  STW*  Joit^axU  no  if  a  -gilt  I  biueleflxV  »iij  ax  ebiusl  eriT 
b«*I   aiiJ  battwo  oifw  eson'.'     .  sal  as  0£  J'uoa'i!   ^niaj   S^TSVJB   arij    ,  aaal  TO   3&*:o£  031 
OB  yiiJ'j'e^  netij   b£ii  \&tit  -iol  ibJtw  lo  ^IQQL'B  lfi«wac"xec  JB  eiusde  o^  oeriaiw 
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rtiv   bnjjoib   sienwobiifl  e^iu    ,e^i£i>CI  one  jenivoO   .^eustA   va   beciiiilc   suv  i&vii   j..j 
t-J    oUJ-ii  w-i,"J   j-  •••    j-i.-.j    ,  o^M-jij  isosu  ax*  ifa-xw  a«uw  'i^itmua  eul  ci 
8£W  Bg^Liiot;   ll*ra  A     .«id£  Tec  001  >  as  il^iu  a*  beuLev  8£W 
ni    ,bW*^«  eiolsd  a/s   ,lua    .noa^se   t»iij-   lo  ^i/jq  *  jjniiut)  aenoJ'JiJb  *iib  ^cf 
a*;«r  laiew  «no8     .  ald^.lijsvjs  TO^JBW  on  a>-;«r  tJieit*  noafioe  erUf 
adj  JUii^Z'.?  slqoaq  eaj  lo  JaoLd       .msjrexB  ^etsA  stil  moil   sldlsaoq  rtariw 
4  0^  ajEW  enadj  bos  i"ioc.rua  lo  erusem  TaiiJ-o   eraoe  bed  e-ioivr  bftsl  ynxnwo  no 
1L\     .  aole»^nA  BOvI  ni  o&vil  snonvro  siU   lo  en:o-3     .  nolj/;vi^ltro  labfiu  bnsl 
fttl   enJ    .    ;.  i  ...   oti  c>j'«i  "^i-...  .   :,»'.>    ebrusl  ildflj'  qcl&vsu  oj  b&..'rnw  •"lonwoonxjl 
bsjoaqxa  eci  J"riaiw  J-oiTJsxb  eii;   iloiriw  aawlev  nl  aein  silt  idiljs  nooe  J^uo  lies 


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i'Oft  bib  Joiijaifc  fr^  cn£  ^coii-s  Ylii^l  lliJ-a  a/iw  abwcd  J'oiix^xb  rtoxt/ssifi-i  -id: 
rioxriw  000,  02^  lo  au^ai   erid1  lo  d"i£q  al^'isbxenoo  e 

000,  £1*  'xo  ®A/'!ex  Iflrtoij-xfjb£  HB  i9j-f;J     .9881   ,o  ^lul  no  J-itroo  aitt   -^  &9VOTqqfl  a*?- 
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osllob  aiij-  no  aJnao  S\l  59  to't  bftBXiasd'xwS  rtx  bios  ban   .ooexonBii  aa3  lo  iloaind 

P 
.    -jf     .  abnod  aaenj   TO!  ifillob  6iU  ao  aJ-flso  88  baviaoet  tleaJ-i  i-oiiJ-glb 

8i"Tj^oH  ni   8^^3x1  iol  aJ'Tow  000,  2#   .ajiiaxi  Te-£w  iol   bab^T^   siaw  eonoJ   lo  rtfiow 

tt>ukiV  iioum  lo  ton  na  aoia*  bfut  beJilx^K  11990'  Tavsn  av^d  rtcxriw  ,«oxru»0 

.need    .-  .   .     ,  \  oxtiBi)  n^c!  ertt  nx  Telf-w  oJ1  ts^rigii  iol  000,35 


(2) 


•  .  _• 

traded  for  work  on  the  tunnel  which  the  district  was  driving  under  the  San 
Gatriel  River.  The  plan  to  develop 

The  plan  to  develop  water  was  devised  by  F.  C.  Finkle,  engineer  for 
the  district,  and  was  to  drive  a  tunnel  under  the  San  Gatriel  River.  Thie  plan 
w?js  teing  carried  out  and  the  tunnel  had  been  driven  3,000  feet  when  euit  was 
brought  by  parties  owning  land  near  Azuea,  Covina  and  Euarte  claiming  all  the 
water  and  asking  for  an  injunction  restraining  the  further  construction  of  the 
tunnel  and  the  diversion  of  water  by  the  Vineland  district.  While  this  liti- 
gation was  in  progress ,  the  San  Gabriel  Power  Company  was  arranging  to  take 
water  from  the  river  and  in  order  to  satisfy  the  right  claimed  by  the  Vineland 
district  they  offered  to  put  in  a  well  within  the  district  which  should  yield 
100  miners'  inches  of  water,  50  inches  of  which  they  were  to  pump  to  the  upper 
edg;e  of  the  district  and  50  inches  to  the  middle  of  the  district  from  which  the 
lower  half  could  be  irrigated.  They  agreed  to  dig  the  well  and  install  a 
pumping  plant,  and  furnish  power  to  pump,  the  amount  of  power  furnished  being 
proportional  to  the  flow  of  the  river  at  the  same  period.  Thie  arrangement  was 
agreed  to  by  the  district  and  shortly  after  an  injunction  was  issued  against 
them  restraining  them  from  diverting  water  from  the  San  Gabriel  River,  eo  that 

lit*  T-:  i..t  L-.  '•  *Q- 

the  well  installed  by  the  Power  Company  was  virtually  a  clear  gain  for  the  dis- 
trict. The  Power  Company  soon  became  dissatisfied  with  the  agreement  under  which 
they  were  bound  to  furnish  power  perpetually,  proposed  to  the  district  that 
in  exchange  for  a  release  from  this  obligation  and  a  return  of  the  electric 

motors  furnished,  they  rould  install  a  100  H.P.  steam  engine  and  boiler  and 

••  •  f          '  *  * 

give  it  to  the  district-  This  was  agreed  to  and  carried  out. 

The  district  constructed  £  miles  of  main  ditch  v,ith  concrete  lining, 
2  miles  of  main  pipe  line  and  4  miles  of  vitrified  clay  and  cement  pipe  laterals, 
be  ride  e  a  steel  pipe  line  £  miles  in  length  to  carry  water  froiri  the  well  to  the 
upper  bound ary  of  the  district.  It  was  found  that  the  expense  of  pumping  to  tae 


(s) 


i.  jjaiviia  SEW  loi'tfaii)  e..  .  J1  srU1  no  jfiow  -iol 

qolavab  oJ  nalq  orfT     . isvxH 

-jo  i  teenians  4aI^nj:I  .0  .  i  \d  baaivsb  aew  •te^sv  qolavei)  o*  oalq  eriT 
oaie  aiaT     . i&vxB  leiadjsS  n*3  artf   tabnu  lemurf  s  avirtb  oJ  arw  bne   ,  toil- sib  arid" 
J-ii-a  ited-.v  i-ss'i  000, S  naviib  naecf  o/.ri  lau:ul   9jil. 
lie  js^i111^"^?  a-T-suCI  bna  snivoQ   ,f>8usA  ijjsa  .owl 

erij  lo  aoijoui^snos  "ted^ai;!   erti'  ^niai^it^&i  noixaaut^i  n^  iol  yniaiafi  brua 
sirii'   aliiiVt'     .JoitJgii;  brtwisaiV  aild1  ytf  TeJ-jew  *o  nois'iavib  eiil  brue 
oj  aniymjTi*   a^-ar  xn*«Tmo^  13-701  laiid«D  *te3  .sriJ    ,  assi^oiq.  nl  SBW 
fanulsniV  sciJ'   yd  bomislo  InaiT  oaj-  xTs-i^'9  °-   Tsaic  ni   b.i£  isviT  &di  moil 
jorfa  rioi.iwr  tQitt'siz  8iij  nirlj-i*  Us-*  a  ni  Juq 

^  qmuq   ot  aie,v  ^anJ  rioirtar  la  ssrioru  02     ,  •ISJ'JBW  lo  sarioni   'eTsniic  001 
efij  .ioidw  raoi'l  j-ciij  aib  aiiJ  lo   aiobxm  erij-   oi-  tjertoai  02  brus  ^oxijaiD  etU.lo  «3b8 
JB   Ilcranx  bi^a   Hew  erfi"  sio  ol  fadeiyf!  i^eiiT     .  bata^xttx   ad   blwoo  llBii  TOWO! 
gnxad  berfssimi/l  ixxoc  lo  ^nuonjs  e.-U   ,qmjuq   oJ  lawoq  risxn-url  baw   .J-rwiq  ^nxqoujq 
Mw  Jnomsgn^'iifl  axA^T     .  boi'iaq  fines   *tij  j«  TSVXT  ariJ1  lo  woll   srij-  oJ1   IBaojtu^oqo^q 

o"9«iBjjfi  bavsBX  er,«  noxjon^trti  n*  iaJl«  vlfiosia  one  J-oi'i^aio  axU   yl  oJ1 
j-jsrit  oe   ,  teviH  laxTdcO  ni32   artJ  moil  i9;h  w  ani*TavxD  monl 
-8ib  etU  Tol  BX.B3 

rioinw  labay  ^namesig^  ^Af  citi*  bsilaitaosxb  efai;o3J'  noes  \rrfiqmoO   tsifo'?  enT     . 
d'edJ"  Joxiiaib  eaj  ol  beeoqo^q   ,xH«"i's<I'*6q  T3";*q  riaimul  oJ  bnjjod  staw 
oinj-oald  9.1^  lo  rcu/Jdi  a  biw  noxj>»§ilio  exiU   raoi't   as/relat  a  10!   agnehoxs  nx 
bnc  lalxod  fcrts   aai^na  ntsa^B  .1. H  OCX  *  Il^J-sfli  oli/or  ^erfJ"   ,b«iisiniL'l  aioJom 
.Juo  baxiTso  bos  ot  beengfi  arw  axriT     -toxtj-axb  en*  ot  J^i  evxg 
.1  6^aT5floo  ri*xw  rto^ib  fli«jc  lo  aallm  i'  bad-owi^anoo  JoxiJaxb  aiiT 

o  oojj  ^.Io  boxlx'iJiv  lo  selim  #  ban  snxl  aqiq  nlem  lo  aolira  ^ 
aw  atit  Moil  naJ-r        1  1  rex   aalit;  S  anil  »qiq  Xaela  3   <J 

o  aefjaoxe  .  jl  a««f  .          raib  srij-  lo  vTj?bnuod 


(3) 


upper  part  of  the  district  wae  very  high  and  it  was  discontinued.  The  coet  of 
pumping  WHO  thought  t,o  be  too  high  and  the  landowners  became  dissatisfied  with 
the  district  plan  which  required  all  land  to  be  served  on  the  same  terms . 

Interest  has  been  defaulted  since  about  1896.  The  district's  organiza- 
tion was  allowed  to  lapse,  an  election  of  directors  being  called  and  not  attended. 
The  existing  directors  then  resigned  and  left  the  district  without  a  board . 
Mr.  I.  K.  Rhoaces,  who  was  secretary  at  that  time,  as  well  as  a  director,  resigned 
his  position  as  director  but  continued  to  act  as  secretary  and  he  is  still 
acting  in  that  capacity.  The  bonds  have  not  been  paid  and  although  the  last  of 
the  series  became  due  in  1909  there  has  been  no  demand  for  payment  of  the  legally 
issued  bonds .  The  legality  of  the  bonds  has  not  been  seriously  questioned  in 
court  although  most  of  the  people  now  residing  in  the  district  feel  confident 
that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  pay  them.  It  seems  very  probable  that  those 
bonds  which  were  traded  for  work  on  the  tunnel  may  te  defeated,  but  the  issue 
of  $40,000  which  brought  in  cash  are  probably  a  valid  lien  on  the  property. 

Since  the  abandonment  of  the  district  organization  a  portion  of  the 
lands  included  in  it  have  been  irrigated  from  the  district's  v/ell .  The  well  is 
475  feet  deep  and  the  water  rises  to  85  feet  from  the  surface  .  Those  whose 
landr  lie  at  a  lower  level  than  the  well  have  gone  in  together  on  a  co-operative 
basis  and  installed  a  5C  H.  P.  engine  to  pump  water  \vith  which  to  irrigate  their 
land.  Mr.  I.  1,'.  Rhoades,  whose  land  lies  in  trie  upper  part  of  the  district, 
pays  the  same  charges  as  the  others  and  pumps  the  water  from  the  well  to  his 
place  *ith  his  own  engine .  A  number  of  wells  have  been  put  down  in  the  district 
and  a  plentiful  supply  of  water  seems  to  be  available.  In  addition  to  the  water 
thus  secured,  the  landowners  use  surplus  water  from  the  San  Gabriel  River  when 
it  is  available.  About  1500  acres  are  being  irrigated  now  and  land  values  have 
risen  so  that  they  are  now  from  flOO  to  (5CO  per  acre.  Citrus  fruits  and  alfalfa 
are  nroduced. 


lo 


j-303  orfT  .  oetmiJ-noosxb  BBW  Jx  bna  d^xri  v1^  aw*  Joi-tf  ajfcb  orfj  lo  Jisq  isqqu 
y  aexleiJ.Bssib  arweoscf  aianf/oboBl  sitf  anjs  it^xri  Oo.fr  ad  oJ-  Jri^jjoitt  s/sw  anxqnyq 
.am  a4  antes  e-U  no  jsvxoa  t>J  od"  ooRi  lie  faeTXUpen  liaxdw  oulq  Joxijsxb  ear 
3Tto  a1  JoxajBXi)  enT  .a?8I  juoc>r£  tnnxs  da-L-'sleb  need  ej;ri  J•^e^^»j•aI 
*^  ^on  ba£  jsll*so  ^fiiacf  •3^ojos^J•.^  lo  rioi^ools  rus  ,  esqnl  oJ  bswolli  5«w  rioiJ' 
Joli/sii  -jiiJ  J~lol  ba^  ban^isei  nedJ  -itoisQiia  ^ni^eixo  8iiT 
II»vr  3«  ,  QIOJ-W  V.K..U  ^  x*lB-^e'139a  aww  °^w  ,89a»0ii^.  ./I  .1  .  iM 
oj  beunilitoo  J-ucf  io;fo3i.lb  ae  noiJ'Jt'joq  aiii 
ev£a  aiMtecf  ariT  ,\vio.eqjso  J'jBitr  nx 


ax   ari  afte 
eiij*  dw 


«n£- 


OP 

n&ad 
:8a  on 

ni  benoiJ-saup  ^Xawoiiaa  aead  ton 
last  ^olid-gib 
elJjBcfoT^  \iav  aweea  J'l 
^ei  wdJ  -"uif  I'yatz,  slab  9.i  \;£m 
.  -^o'iaqoiq  a.^  no  nail  Jilev  e 
to  noitooc  £ 


Iletr  otiT  .  ilsw 
eaoaT  . 
o  ft  nc  ^ 


moil 


eaJ"  tnoil 


vjp. 


abacd  eaj    'lo   ^-^-^i8^  Biif     .  sbnod  beusai 
won  aiqoaq  eaJ   lo  d-som  ri^odjlB 
^sq  oj-   \;i^aa3oa«  scf  J-ou  IIi,y  tl 
no  ino*  -jol  oshs'tj   oiaw  rioifiw  sbnocf 
eoe  aa/so  :ti  J-ri^uo'ii   rfoih.T  000,  0«»^  lo 
o/it   lo  J-;t3MaobfiK-*   sciJ"  eonx3 

nsod  a/fu  ti   ai   bebularii   si 
xi  i6J-/iW  QA,;   ktiR  qeab  tasl 

I«v»I  TJ-VO!  x    J5  sxl  3bftfil 
.H  Oc  s  bslJled'snl  utv<   axsrjj 
.iA  ,::  .1  .  i;.'     .  bruel 


58 


J  ni  snog  sv,j.i  Haw 
iloxdw  riJ'x.v  iaJ'/;w  qiouq   oJ1  a 
lo  J-ij3q  -:eqqu  a;-.J  nx  sai 
aid  o^   lid*/  eai1  raoil  t*J-Bw  adj   acrauq  bfij^  aiexiJ-o  »rl^  aa  ae^isdo  emas 

aitj-  ax  nv?oj  i-«q  n«od  evsri  alls*  lo  -:eefnjL'«  A     .enx-jna  nwo  Bid  d^x.?  eofllq 
•w  ertj"  oi  rtoiiJ'xbo^  nl     .QLdelisve  ad  oJ-  aeiaas  le,}^*  lo   '{Iqqua   luljinslq  i>   bos 
fu»-i  SfW1  moil  i«J-/nr  aulqite  esi;  aTSAwoo«£l 

.  ogiTxj;  ^fli9<J  ete  S8TOJS  0021  JwodA     .eldalxev^  3i 

'  'I'.>C      J   -'?  .^     rj     ClOi.4    iilCT't      70:1     fi'l£     V8di'  03     ilS 


.  beouionc  9-ia 


The  Vineland  Irrigation  District  was  involved  in  some  litigation,  the 
most  important  case  teing  that  of  Vineland  Irrigation  District  v.  Azuea  Irri- 
gation Company  et  al,  126  Cal  .  466,  wnich  concerned  rights  to  the  water  of  San 
Gabriel  River.  The  district  was  defeated  in  the  Superior  Court  of  Loe  Angeles 
County  and  upon  appeal  the  decision  was  sustained  by  the  Supreme  Court.  This 
decision  restrained  the  district  from  diverting  the  waters  of  the  San  Gabriel 
River  by  tur-neling  or  otherwise  anc  rendered  the  noney  expended  by  the  district 
in  the  construction  of  the  tunnel  a  complete  lose  except  for  the  well  and  pumping 
machinery  which  had  teen  received  from  the  San  Gabriel  Power  Company.  The  loee 
thus  sustained  by  the  district  wae  very  severe  and  the  people  felt  that  with 
-uiis  resource  gone  the  lands  of  the  district  were  not  worth  the  amount  of  tne 
tends  standing  against  them  and  refused  to  pay  taxes.  Tne  decision  of  Judge  Rose 
in  1895  was  also  an  influence  \;hich  discouraged  them  and  made  them  feel  that 
perhaps  after  all  they  would  not  have  to  pay  the  bonds  . 


oi  to*  i&nd  *** 


ai 


-i-nl  *,aasA  ,v 
lo  t**^fW  arfw   a^ 

eoa  lo  *iwoO 


V  lo 

i>«nieajioa  rioxnw  ,68^  .  JDaO  dSl  ,1s  ** 
«t*  .«i  i>8^jE9Trsi>  asw  .tpxVeib  sriT 
d  iMWii^Jaua  ajs*  uolaioeb  a^il  leaqq^  aoq:u 
ed*  aaij-ievio  ;nonl  ioiai-aiis  »di  banxaitaei 


10 

bebrseqxa   x;an>3*n  ait  seieoriaT  *>fis  •RivrterfuO  10 
•::«*  9ii.fr  iol  Jqanxs  a^ol  .eislqmoo  a  isnaud-  o»u    io 
.  ^ajscj;aoO  ij".aro'i  laii  j'isil  njeci  auj  aotl  hevlaodT  naaJ  osd  iioiriw 

tlol   jl'.'.oao   w.ij"  one  ei»v®«  \7=iv  e^w  J-oiijsJtls  ariJ"  1^ 
..     ;«  facoir^  scit  iJJ"t-aw  jkon  aiow  Joit;  sib  84*   'feo  abael  «wi^  enc^ 
••»-v  :L  lo  «ci»is9b  sriT     ,e«*&3"   ^Bq-oi  basu'ieT  bfte  msiiJ  Ja*. 


yd 


ai 


,  eefltoc 


WALNUT  IRRIGATION  DISTRICT. 
Los  Angeles  County  -  Organized  August  10,  1893  -  Area  869  3/4  acres. 

The  Walnut  Irrigation  District  is  situated  in  LOB  Angeles  County 
near  the  little  town  of  Rivera.  Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  district  the 
landowners  acquired  or  claimed  to  have  acquired  certain  rights  to  the  waters  of 
the  San  Gabriel  River.  They  were  using  surplus  water  which  was  discharged  from 
the  lower  end  of  the  Standifer  Ditch  and  had  made  certain  filings  on  the  river. 
It  was  thought  that  by  organizing  an  irrigation  district  under  the  Bright  Act 
it  would  be  possible  to  condemn  a  right  of  way  through  the  Standifer  Ditch  and 
thus  secure  a  more  ample  and  certain  supply  of  water.  With  this  end  in  view  the 
district  was  organized  August  10,  1893.  There  was  very  little  opposition  to 
the  formation  of  the  district.  One  landowner  by  the  name  of  J.  K.  Burke  opposed 
it  and  later  made  trouble  for  the  district  in  regard  to  the  distribution  of 
water,  but  most  of  thelandowners  were  highly  in  favor  of  the  move. 

The  land  within  the  district  was  held  in  email  tracts  averaging 
probably  15  or  20  acres  with  one  or  two  large  tracts  of  about  IOC  acree  each. 
A  considerable  portion  of  the  land  was  irrigated  and  land  was  worth  from  (250 
to  ^300  per  acre.  The  entire  area  of  869  3/4  acres  was  irrigable  and  all  that 
was  needed  was  an  ample  and  certain  water  supply . 

Shortly  after  organization  the  district  brought  suit  against  the 
Standifer  Ditch  Company  to  condemn  a  right  of  way  through  their  ditch  for  200 
miners'  inches  of  water.  A  decree  was  given  as  asked  on  ?:ay  21,  1895,  the 
district  to  pay  for  the  enlargement  of  the  ditch  and  to  pay  two-fifths  of  the 
cost  of  maintenance.  In  accordance  with  this  decree  the  district  enlarged  the 
Standifer  ditch  and  secured  an  abundant  supply  of  water.  The  length  of  ditch 
improved  was  about  4  miles  and  in  addition  the  district  built  a  wooden  flume 
within  its  own  boundaries  at  a  cost  of  ^6,OCO.  The  flume  has  since  been 


*\£  SS2  JB&iA   -  £681   ,01  Sw^A   bssittfi^'iO  -  tJayoO  .BalajnA  eoj 


aoj  10X113X0  adJ1  lo  noiJjasxrtjBaio  aaj   oJ  icxi"     .atsvirl  lo  irwoj-   olllx!  sal 
"to  aa&jjsw  siifr  ol  ala^x*!  iuj»i"i»o  o&Tiupojs  evAti  cj  oami*!lc  *io 
moll  ijagtEfnosiS)  at.w  lioii-iw  isjrw  sulqive  gfl-iai'  STSW  x»^T     .  laviH  laiidfiO  na2 
no  aa«iii'i  njnati&i)  Qsjam  btti  b«ja  doJ-ia  i8lii>aEi".?  6di  'lo  faro  Tj*ol 
aai   istni;  Sslifzib  naiJ'B^ini   ti*  ^/xisiac^To   ^J'  J-s-tf  ^ri^fOftJ   at'* 
libiiBJ'O  a*iJ  ii^jjotriJ'  ^sv»  lo  lii^ii  £  aueoftoo  o*   aldisaoq   eu 
a.U  woxv  ai  x>ne  axtiJ  aJ'i.W     .*rej£..v  io  \Iqqys  ni^Jiao  bxii;   a!c:oB   viom  K   oiU99'* 

oj   iioijjfc-ioqqo  tl^Jil  \isv  a/w  e-ieriT     .6881   ,01  i-ayguA  basiajE^io  a£V 
beaoqqo   »iiud  .  .{  .1  to   BIVJEH   sxij   vd  isMsobttel  acO     .i'oi.'i^'-iij  bi'iJ   lo 

lo  iioxi'udi^axD  eric-   cJ   bxi^an  ni  j'aii^exo  stij  *iol   ^IduoTt   W£&  loftsL  JMIB  J-x 

lo  icvsl  »ti  x-t"^^  *'i«w  ai^nwcbnelorii-  lo  J-son  j-ucf  , 
llfx'.\a  nl  aloa  sew  J'OO.TJBX/J   arij-  nx;ili</  fin«I  eril 
.  doss  3«toa  001  J'woiiJ   lo  fjJ'ou'u"   8jij)I  owJ'   io  site  rijxw  aeiojs  Ou  10   cl 

ar,oi'i  jiwio'.v  ^BW  baai  btiB  oatf^iiini  a^w  jsnsl  srif   lo  noid"ioq  3lcfBT8t>ianoo  A 
-'  lie  b.t£    »Ui^iT:i  a£«  a&To;-  >\£  '388  lo  *ete  aixJna  aril     . 

.\iqqua  le^KW  «J:*^"so  bnj?   alqnuj  OB 
an*  JgnijBjB  Jxua  Jri 


erf*   ,2581   ,12  Y*"'  n°  ba>.as  ;ui  nevi^  ajsw  aeioeb  .*      .  leJaw  lo  sadoni 
erii'   lo  arfj-lxl-owj   ^»q  od1  jii*  doJlu  saj    lo  JnejasgiftlnB  erti   10!  Y*5?  °^ 
iiJ  oa^i/ilne  -oiiisib  anJ"   adioab  eifi?  riJi'.*  eonubTooor  «I     .  aoaenej-nxB.^  lo  JR 

.0  ii^^nai  artT     .  I«J-JB'#  to  ^Iqqwo  i-njsfanufc  n«  jQ'ijjooa  bite  rtoJib  nalxbrmJ-3 

II  aeboow  «  Jliud  ioiilaJtb  »itr  noi^ibaa  it*  b«B  aslxia  *  J-uo-Jja  aew  bsvortqwl 

timull  eii'f     .000,  d^  lo  ^".oo  e  SA  sjoi-usbiwori  niro  BJX 


(2) 


replaced  by  a  concrete  flume  which  cost  |8,COO.  The  amount  expended  in 
improving  the  Standifer  Ditch  was  about  $7,000  so  that  the  works  of  the 
District  have  cost  over  |21,COO.  The  district  has  also  purchased  atout  17 
acres  of  land  at  the  point  of  diversion  from  the  San  Gabriel  River. 

The  improvements  made  by  the  district  have  all  been  paid  for  by 
special  assessments .  There  exists  a  strong  prejudice  against  the  creation 
of  a  bonded  indebtedness  and  for  this  reason  the  landowners  have  preferred 
to  make  an  effort  and  pay  cash  for  all  improvements.  The  heaviest  assess- 
.T^ent  was  for  47.50  per  acre  and  there  have  been  other  assessments  so  that 
the  aggregate  has  been  over  £24  per  acre,  but  the  landowners  feel  that  the 
benefits  derived  from  irrigation  have  far  more  than  repaid  them  for  the 
outlay . 

The  litigation  of  the  district,  aside  from  the  suit  to  condemn 
a  right  of  way  through  the  Standifer  Ditch,  has  consisted  of  suits  to  restrain 
landowners  from  using  water  on  lands  outside  of  the  district.  The  first  case 
on  this  subject  w^s  that  of  Jenison  v.  Walnut  Irrigation  District.  Jenieon 
owned  land  both  within  the  district  and  without,  and  he  claimed  that  he  was 
entitled  to  a  fixed  ehare  of  the  total  amount  of  water  owned  by  the  district 
and  could  use  that  share  on  whatever  part  of  his  property  he  v,ished  to.  The 
district  disputed  hie  right  to  carry  the  water  to  that  part  of  his  land  which 
lay  without  the  borders  of  the  district  and  the  courts  upheld  the  district  in 
its  contention.  In  the  case  of  the  Vialnut  Irrigation  District  v.  Eurke ,  the 
circumstances  were  similar  in  that  Eurke  owned  land  both  within  and  without 
the  district,  but  in  this  case  the  outside  landr  owned  by  Eurke  had  been 
entitled  to  water  from  the  Standifer  Ditch  before  the  organization  of  the 
district  and  the  Supreme  Court  held  (110  Pac .  519)  that  Burke  nd^ht  continue 
to  use  water  on  the  land  v;ithout  the  district  in  view  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
so  ueed  it  before  the  organize.tion  of  the  district  and  that  the  ditch  from 


Hi    osbnacrxa  i«jjoro«   8uT     .  000,8  J  Jeoo  rioiii-v  sei'l":   afaTonoo  B   -{d  beo^lqai 
8AJ   to  sitoi'  scii  j£&  03  000,V$  d-jjodje  SJEW  riotfij  -jatibOBJ-a  »iid" 
VI  d-youi-  iyeaeuoiuq   oei>  eaxi  Jsitjeib  erf?     .000,1S$  ievo  Isoo   &v& 

.  ISVX.E  I&i*ia.BO  ae^  6^  moil  noiaisvio  lo  J'nioq  a-ifr  ^B  bnal  lo 
yd  icl  faisq  asecf  HB  avert  ^sjcij-aif)  »ii-    ifcf  ob*a;  a^nay.dvcnqrr.i   eri? 
."»ox^jE«aTE3  eiiJ   i-sni£3A   soxiu^eiq  ^nonj'a  B  a^sixd   o-:6.iT     .  sjrisruasd 

.  aieii#oaiif:l  sttt  aoaeeT  sxitf  TO!  bfus  casnbaj-debni  isbnocf  £  lo 
-Qijdaaa  ^aaivfisd  eifr     .  a-  nemavoiqaii  Us  ic't  riaso  x^q  faoe  i^ioils  OB  e^jsa;  oJ1 
.    ..v    v  .   ;-..         3388*«  •ssrii'O  ns&J  svjsii  oierlr   bfu  eios  Taq  05.?^  io.l  s£» 
lael  aisnwobatil  ertJ  J-ud  ,STOB  -isq  >i^  TDVO  :s33d  san  9^361536 
TO!  rasnj  bieqsT  rtJSiir   siora  isl  ov^ii  iioits^liii  moi'l  baviisb 


ronabnoo   od~  Jit/3  e.ii'  raoil  sbiafi   ,^0x1^  sib  eiit  lo  itoi^iaiJ-il  eri 
ft-i  oJ  sJ-ii-'a   lo  bsJaisnoo  asii  ,.-ioJ-iU  Tstibnjsj-2  site  n^uoiiiJ-  Y**' 
jaii't  e.iT     .toii^sib  ari^   lo  e&ialuo  ebftel  no  letfatf  gni^i;  ,,'ioTl 
aoeirol.     .j-sxTtBid  noxl^^iiil  i'i.'niBtf  .v  noginst  lo  J'.edj   sp'^r  J-ostdus   aidj-  no 
SB*  arf  i-fiiil  bemiislo   ari  Ofts    .luorictiw  cna  J-oiii-aib   artf   niflj-i»  riJod   bnj5l  fasrrj/o 
loiiocib  aiij   \d  oanwo  IS-BW  lo  j-nuoinc   le^oJ   s.iJ  lo   e'tErtg  faaxil  B  oJ    u'jIJ'id'ne 
.  oJ-  ban'ii.7  en  ^Taqoiq  aia  lo  J"tRq  lavaJ'/niw  no  eTfliia  fsat  eau  bluoo  boe 
iw  on**  [  «iri  to  J'isq  JsriJ'  o^  ~9*p.w  efil   Y^^rto  of  JiijiT  aiii  bsJuqaib  J'oiiJ-sib 
Jsib  ailt  blertqy  93•^uoo  erlJ  bns  d'oiii'sir)  a^   Ic   siabiod  «ti$  J-uoriliw  ^cl 
2  .v  **>iijsivi  noid~^3±iTl  J-unla*/  e.1l   lo  SB.BO   sriJ-  nl     .noi^iternos  e-x 
nxa  j  irf  .^od  bnjal  bemvo   aniu-1  if.dj  ni  i^Iirais  ttiew 


lo  noiJ-j?sxas3io  «{!]•  siol*d  aolia  lelxbrisi-i;   9itl  stioa't 

(6X2  ,ojj«I  Oil)  bled  tiuoJ  affieiqo^  aiit 

/  brtel  etij-  no 


which  the  water  was  eo  diverted  lay  above  that  to  which  the  district  had  a 
title  in  fee  simple,  said  ditch  having,  at  the  point  in  question,  been  constructed 
by  Burke  and  subsequently  enlarged  by  the  district.  The  decision,  therefore, 
really  was  to  the  effect  that  the  water  used  on  the  land  of  Burke  which  lay 
outside  of  the  district  had  never  belonged  to  the  district  and  that  therefore 
the  district  could  not  restrain  Burke  from  using  it  as  he  pleased  eo  long  a« 
the  district  was  not  damaged  thereby. 

The  operation  of  the  Walnut  Irrigation  Idetrict  has  been  of  great 
benefit  to  the  community.  Practically  all  of  toe  land  within  the  district 
hae  been  brought  under  irrigation  and  even  unimproved  land  cannot  be  bought 
for  leee  than  $800  per  acre.  Land  which  is  in  bearing  orchards  sell  s  readily 
for  $2, CCO  per  acre.  The  land  holdings  are  of  small  tracts  averaging  about 
£0  acres.  There  is  one  tract  of  a  little  over  100  acres  and  one  of  70  acres, 
but  aside  from  these  the  holdings  are  small. 

The  cost  of  water  is  very  small,  being  merely  enough  to  cover  the  cost 
of  attendance  by  a  zanjero.  It  amounts  to  about  25  to  30  cents  per  acre  foot, 
the  specific  charge  being  10  cents  per  nour  for  a  flow  of  between  200  and  250 
.ilnere'  inches.  The  cost  per  acre  is  thus  less  than  £1  per  year  and  as  the 
crops  produced  are  nalnuts,  oranges  and  alfalfa,  the  rater  charge  is 
exceedingly  reasonable.  V.-ater  is  abundant  and  eVery  landowner  receives  all  he 
want e . 


B  iu»a  j-oxii-aia  6&  cioj.ua  o-   -£-iU   »vodjs  y^I  .:  ->  oe  atw  istow  a*tt  rio-^ 

anoa  nesi   ,r»ci.raoi>p  ui   jaioc  bfir  *^    t^ru.v£ii  rioi'iD  Dlra   ,»Iqi>U8   sal  sx 


vsl  rio^riw  ainua   io  ynjil  auj  ac   baau  laiB//  e»U  -jtiir  -o^'ila  arW'   &J"   a^'#  Y-^-^- 
iolyie*U.  uj  jcjcUaij  exlJ"  o>5    b:-~  wt3.  joiijsib  srU1   lo   ecieluo 

SJB  s«ol  oa  CMtaeoIq  tui  ;^«  Ji   artlay  moil  ox-ujd  aisi^aai  .'on  bluoo  J-oiitaiJb 

.vJetbdJ  oa^gmii^   Jca  asw  i'ol'xi'axb 
-i     lo  m>a4  aed  Joi-iiaxu  aoiJaaiiil  JualB^V  »»jiJ-  t 

jRifl  aiil.niiijxw  uti&l  ati*    to   II<*  Y-i-^ox^aBiS     ,\J-ira<«Kioo  Sii 
d   e<J  Jt.  jfcl  issvoicauiii;  navw  x>ix.~  noiJ-*3iTii  -i^bjuf  J'li^uoia'  nesa' 

a  H»«  3/jTBjioio  aaiijued  »i  si  doiiiw  aaeJ     .»iofl  -i»q  008^  <u»ri*  aasl  •sol 
an-t3£"-8V>:  8*3-^^   Xlerae   lo   SOB  asnioloii  bru3jl  eii7     .BTOB  liicr  000,2$  no't 
0V  lo  aao  »oe  s*»aos  001  -:»vo  slJ-^il  £  lo  totsix   sno  ai  oiaiiT     .aartoa  02 

.  tlema  eos  8:j/iiijlori  ortf  aaariw    -coi'i 
navoo  oi-  n^uofia  x^6'J3ct  <;«-t»^   ,  ILeaB   ^^v  a-^  ^^JB*  lo  l^oa   «aT 

OJ5   Taq  «*«&o  0£  o#   aiJ  juo.;s  oJ  ai-B^oau;  il     .o 
i  iMi»  OOS  nee«3-e-j  lo  *©I1  B  10!  iaou  idq  sJnao  01  gflisal  ©a'"<:io   oit-coaqa  oriJ 
exi*  e£  bua  oeex  nt*q  1^  iwn*  a^sl  aurf.:    ax  STOS  isq  Jaoo   s*.il' 

si  Q^t^iio  i«jsfti*'  <wW   ,.B'iI»lIa  aaa  aea*3*1"10   ,  sJ.unls*  ->'W  baouooiq 
ILs  aevx*a»T  lenwotmrl  v^ov3  itt*  insoauci*  ai  'i<w*«f 

.  3- 


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